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A  TRIP  TO  PANAMA 


The  Narrative  of  a  Tour  of  Observation  through  The  Canal  Zone, 
with  some  Account  of  Visits  to  Saint  Thomas,  Porto  Rico, 
Jamaica  and  Cuba,  by  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago, 
Cincinnati  and  St.  Loilis,  February  18th  —  March  14th,  1907 


By  WALTER  B.'  STEVENS 

St.  Louis,   1907  Pr«»  Representative 


COPYRIGHT,  1907, 

BY 

HARRY  L.  LAWS 
ROBERT  BATCHELLER 
BENJAMIN  CARPENTER 
HANFORD  CRAWFORD 


Printed  by 

LESAN-GOULD  Co. 

St.  Louis 


T0h 


"  I  am  informed  that  representatives  of  the  Commercial  Clubs 
of  four  cities  —  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  —  the 
membership  of  which  includes  many  of  the  leading  business  men  of  those 
cities,  expect  to  visit  the  Isthmus  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  work  of 
construction  of  the  canal.  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  and  I  shall  direct  that 
every  facility  be  given  them  to  see  all  that  is  to  be  seen  in  the  work  which 
the  government  is  doing.  Such  interest  as  a  visit  like  this  would  indicate 
will  have  a  good  effect  upon  the  men  who  are  doing  the  work,  on  one  hand, 
while  on  the  other  hand,  it  will  offer  as  witnesses  of  the  exact  conditions 
men  whose  experience  as  business  men  and  whose  impartiality  will  make 
the  result  of  their  observations  of  value  to  the  country  as  a  whole." 

From  the  Special  Message  of  President  Roosevelt  to  Congress, 
December  ijth,  1906. 


"I  recall  that  while  at  the  meeting  of  the  Commercial  Club  of 
Cincinnati  last  year,  proposal  was  made  that  a  steamer  be  chartered  to 
visit  Panama  this  winter,  and  I  agreed  to  be  one  of  the  party,  or  at 
least  to  time  my  annual  visit  so  that  I  should  be  on  the  Isthmus  when 
you  were.  My  impression  is  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  postpone  your 
visit  until  about  this  time  next  year  when  I  understand  you  have, 
perhaps,  a  twenty  years'  anniversary.  I  do  this,  because  at  that  time 
there  will  be  a  hotel  constructed  at  Ancon,  on  the  Panama  side,  sufficiently 
large  to  take  in  all  of  the  members  of  the  Clubs  likely  to  make  a  visit  —  a 
hotel  fresh,  and  new,  and  clean,  free  from  any  contagion,  where  you  can 
be  comfortable  and  feel  safe  at  the  same  time.  I  sincerely  hope  that  the 
proposition  to  visit  Panama  will  not  be  given  up.  Those  who  go  will 
feel  richly  rewarded  for  the  definite  information  that  the  eye  will  give 
them  of  the  task  which  this  government  has  undertaken,  and  which 
under  the  inspiration  of  energy  breathed  into  the  enterprise  by  the 
words  and  action  of  President  Roosevelt,  it  will  certainly  perform." 

From  the  address  of  Honorable  William  H.  Taft,  Secretary  of  War, 
before  the  Commercial  Club  of  Saint  Louis,  November  18th,  1905. 


Committees  in  Charge  of  Arrangements 


Commercial  Club  of  Boston 

Mr.  Robert  Batcheller,  Chairman, 

Mr.  R.  Henry  W.  Dwight, 

Mr.  William  B.  Lawrence, 

Mr.  Frederick  B.  Carpenter. 


Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati 

Mr.  Lucien  Wulsin,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Harry  L.  Laws, 

Mr.  E.  C.  Goshorn, 

Mr.  W.  W.  Taylor, 

Mr.  William  Worthington. 


Commercial  Club  of  Chicago 

Mr.  Alfred  L.  Baker,  Chairman, 

Mr.  William  J.  Chalmers, 

Mr.  S.  M.  Felton, 

Mr.  Benjamin   Carpenter. 


Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis 

Mr.  Hanford  Crawford,  Chairman, 
Mr.  D.  C.  Nugent, 
Mr.  Charles  H.  Huttig, 
Mr.  George  D.  Markham, 
Mr.  A  L.  Shapleigh. 


Joint  Committee  in  Charge  of  Steamship 

Mr.  Harry  L.  Laws,  Chairman,  Cincinnati, 
Mr.  Robert  Batcheller,  Boston, 
Mr.   Benjamin  Carpenter,  Chicago, 
Mr.  Hanford  Crawford,  St.  Louis. 


Staff  for  the  Trip 

Mr.  Walter  B.  Stevens,  St.  Louis,  Press. 
Dr.  Henry  S.  Warren,  Boston,  Surgeon. 
Mr.  Collins  Thompson,  St.  Louis,  Stenographer. 
Mr.  F.  A.  Saunderson,  Botson,  Photographer. 


Representing  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston 


Mr.  Stephen  L.  Bartlett  Mr.  R.  Henry  W.  Dwight 

Mr.  Robert  Batcheller  Mr.  William  B.  Lawrence 

Mr.  Robert  A.  Boit  Mr.  William  D.  Mandell 

Mr.  S.  Parker  Bremer  Mr.  Laurence  Minot 

Mr.  Robert  M.  Burnett  Mr.   Harry  L.  Rice 

Mr.  Frederick  B.  Carpenter  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Russell 

Mr.  James  R.  Carter  Mr.  Elihu  Thomson 

Mr.  Harry  W.  Cumner  Mr.  William  Whitman 

Mr.  Charles  L.  Cutler  Mr.  John  G.  Wright 

Mr.  Charles  S.  Dennison 


Representing  the  Commercial  Club  of  Chicago 


Mr.  Alfred  L.  Baker  Mr.  Charles  L.  Hutchinson 

Mr.  Benjamin  Carpenter  Mr.  Cyrus  H.  McCormick 

Mr.  Clyde  M.  Carr  _Mr.  Henry  J.  MacFarland 

Mr.  William  J.  Chalmers  Mr.  John  R.  Morron 

Mr.  John  M.  Clark  Mr.  Joy  Morton 

Mr.  William  E.  Clow  Mr.  La  Verne  W.  Noyes 

Mr.  John  W.  G.  Cofran  Mr.  Martin  A.  Ryerson 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Conover  Mr.  Edward  F.  Swift 

Mr.  John  V.  Farwell,  Jr.  Mr.  Charles  H.  Thorne 

Mr.  William  A.  Fuller  Mr.  Walter  H.  Wilson 


REPRESENTING  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  OF  BOSTON 

Reading   from    left   to   right:     Top  row— Stephen  L.   Bartlett,    R.   H.   W.   Dwight,    Fred   B.   Carpenter,    Laurence  Minot.      Von  Leitner 

(Captain),   H.   L.   Rice,  Jas.   R.   Carter,   S.   Parker  Bremer,   H.  W.  Cumner.     Middle  row  —  Wm.   B.  Lawrence,    Elihu  Thomson, 

William    Whitman,    Robert    M.    Burnett    ( Vice-President),    John    G.    Wright,    Robt.    A.    Boit,    Jos.    B.    Russell.      Lower 

row  — Charles    F.    Cutler,     H.    S.    Warren    (Surgeon),    Charles   S.    Dennison,    Robert   Batcheller,    W.    D.    Mandell. 


REPRESENTING  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  OF  CHICAGO 

Reading  from  left  to   right:     Top   row  — William  E.    Clow,    Cyrus    H.    McCormick,    Edward    F.    Swift,    John    R.    Morron,    Clyde   M. 

Carr,   Joy   Morton,    Chas.    L.    Hutchinson.     Middle  row  — John   M.    Clark,  Alfred    L.    Baker,    Chas.    H.    Thorne,    La  Verne 

W.  Noyes,     H.    J.    MacFarland,    Martin    A.    Ryerson,    Chas.    H.    Conover.     Lower    row  —  Walter    H.    Wilson, 

Benjamin  Carpenter,  J.   W.   G.   Cofran,  John    V.    Farwell,   Jr.,    (Vice-President)    William   A.   Fuller. 


Representing  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati 

Mr.  L.  A.  Ault  Mr.  Harry  L.  Laws 

Mr.  B.  W.  Campbell  Mr.  William  Lodge 

Mr.  J.  T.  Carew  Mr.  Lawrence   Maxwell,  Jr. 

Mr.  A.  H.  Chatfield  Mr.  D.  B.  Meacham 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Henchman  Davis  Mr.  James  E.  Mooney 

Mr.  Charles  W.  Durrell  Mr.  John  Omwake 

Mr.  Thomas  P.   Egan  Mr.  W.  S.  Rowe 

Mr.  David-  B.  Gamble  Mr.  J.  G.  Schmidlapp 

Mr.  Frederick  A.  Geier  Mr.  W.  W.  Taylor 

Mr.    Edward   Goepper  Mr.  John  W.  Warrington 

Mr.  Edwin  C.  Goshorn  Mr.  William  Worthington 

Mr.  James  A.  Green  Mr.  Lucien  Wulsin 

Mr.  Frank  J.  Jones  Mr.  H.  C.  Yeiser 

Mr.   Perin  Langdon 


Representing  the'  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis 

Mr.  Joseph  D.   Bascom  Mr.  Robert   McK.  Jones 

Mr.  W.  K.  Bixby  Mr.  Charles  W.  Knapp 

Mr.  Murray  Carleton  Mr.  Homer  P.  Knapp 

Mr.  George  O.  Carpenter  Mr.  Charles  Gordon  Knox 

Mr.  Daniel  Catlin  Mr.  Robert   Moore 

Mr.  E.  G.  Cowdery  Mr.  D.  C.  Nugent 

Mr.  Hanford  Crawford  Mr.  Henry  C.  Scott 

Mr.  L.  D.  Dozier  Mr.  Rolla  Wells 

Mr.  David  R.  Francis  Mr.  Oscar  L.  Whitelaw 

Mr.  Walker  Hill  Mr.  George  M.  Wright 


Itinerary 


Miles.        Stay. 


Left  New  York  

6:15  a.  m.     Feb. 

18 

—  _, 

Passed  Scotland  Light 

8:00  a.  m. 

18 

Arrived  Charleston... 

3:10  p.m. 

20 

626      5h.     5m. 

Left  Charleston  

8:15  p.m.       " 

20 

Arrived  St.  Thomas.. 

6:15  p.m.       " 

24 

1186      5h.  25m. 

Left  St.  Thomas  ] 

.1:40  p.m. 

24 

Arrived    San   Juan... 

.8:50  a.m.       " 

25 

70      8h.  55m. 

Left  San  Juan  

5:45  p.m.       " 

25 

Arrived    Ponce  

6:40  a.m. 

26 

142      3h.     5m. 

Left  Ponce  

9:45  a.m. 

26 

Arrived   Colon  

7:20  a.m.  March 

1 

934     38h.  35m. 

Left   Colon  

9:55  p.  m. 

2 

Arrived   Kingston  .  .  . 

.8:55  p.m.       " 

4 

550     21h.     5m. 

Left  Kingston  

6:00 

5 

Arrived   Santiago  

,7:00  a.m. 

6 

166      6h. 

Left   Santiago  

1:00  p.m. 

6 

I 

Arrived  Havana  

1:15  p.m. 

8 

641     42h. 

Left    Havana  

.7:15  a.  m. 

10 

Arrived  Charleston  .  . 

.3:30  a.m. 

12 

636     lOh.   14m. 

Left  Charleston  

1:44  p.m. 

12 

Arrived  New  York  .  .  , 

3:00  p.m. 

14 

626 

5577  140h.    24m. 

Time  New  York  to  N< 

:w  York  —  24  days 

,  8 

hours,  45  minutes. 

Route  of  the  Commercial   Clubs  —  Trip  to  Panama. 


REPRESENTING    THE   COMMERCIAL   CLUB   OF   CINCINNATI 

Reading    from   left   to   right:     Top  row — Von  Leitner   (Captain),  John   Omwake,    Lawrence   Maxwell,    Jr.,    Nathaniel    H.    Davis,    Perin 

Langdon,    L.    A.    Ault,    J.  T.    Carew,    John    W.  Warrington,    David    B.    Gamble,   Wm.    S.    Rowe,    Chas.  W.   Durrell.     Middle 

row  —  H.   C.   Yeiser,   A.   H.   Chatfield,   Lucien  Wulsin,    J.   G.   Schmidlapp,    Edward  Goepper   (President),   Frank  J.  Jones, 

Thomas  P.   Egan,  James  E.   Mooney,   B.   W.   Campbell,   Harry  L.   Laws.      Lower  row — D.   B.   Meacham,   William 

Worthington,    W.     W.    Taylor,    James    A.    Green,    Fred    A.    Geier,    Edward    C.   Goshorn,   William   Lodge. 


REPRESENTING  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Top  row  —  Von  Leitner  (Captain),   E.   G.   Cowdery,   David   R.   Francis,   Hanford  Crawford,  Chas.  Gordon 

Knox,     George    M.    Wright,     Henry    C.    Scott,    Walker    Hill,    George    O.     Carpenter,     Robert    Moore,    J.     D.    Bascom, 

Murray    Carleton.       Middle    row  — W.     K.     Bixby,     Daniel     Catlin,    Oscar     L.    Whitelaw     (President),      Robert 

McKittrick  Jones,    Dan  C.  Nugent.     Lower  row — Chas.  W.   Knapp,  Lewis  D.  Dozier,   Homer  P.   Knapp, 

Rolla  Wells,   Walter  B.   Stevens  (Press  Representative),  Collins  Thompson  (Official   Stenographer). 


Preparatory 


THE  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  decided  upon  the  trip  to  Panama 
after  deliberation.  Members  of  the  Clubs  who  visited  Cuba  as  guests  of  the  Chicago  Club,  (February, 
1905,)  came  back  impressed  with  what  the  companionship  would  mean  on  a  much  more  extended 
journey.  During  this  Cuban  trip,  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Felton,  of  Chicago,  proposed  and  advocated  the  visit 
to  Panama  to  see  the  Canal  route.  To  Mr.  Felton  the  members  gave  the  credit  for  the  impetus  which  the 
suggestion  then  received.  At  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  meeting  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati, 
the  proposed  expedition  to  the  Isthmus  was  one  of  the  topics  discussed.  When  Secretary  Taft,  in  November, 
1905,  delivered  his  address  on  the  Canal  before  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis,  he  strongly  commended 
the  suggestion  that  the  Clubs  visit  the  Canal  Zone.  In  November,  1906,  representatives  of  the  Clubs  by 
appointment  met  Secretary  Taft  in  Chicago.  Following  a  luncheon  given  by  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Felton,  a 
conference  was  held.  In  behalf  of  the  Clubs,  Mr.  Lucien  Wulsin  of  Cincinnati  stated  that  among  the  questions 
which  had  arisen  the  most  important  was: 

Will  the  proposed  trip  by  the  Clubs  be  regarded  favorably  by  the  President  and  the  Secretary  of  War,  and 
will  it  be  helpful  to  the  important  work  which  they  and  the  Panama  Commission  have  in  hand  ? 

Secretary  Taft's  reply  was  an  unqualified  affirmative.  He  said  the  Government  would  be  much  pleased  to 
to  have  such  a  visit  as  that  proposed  made  by  men  of  experience  in  business  and  manufacturing,  and  that  such 
a  visit  would  be  of  great  value  and  assistance  to  those  in  charge  of  the  work,  giving  them  assurance  of 
the  interest  taken  in  their  work  by  the  people  of  the  country. 

One  of  the  conclusions  of  this  conference  was  that  the  members  of  the  Clubs  be  polled  to  determine  the 
probable  number  who  would  go. 

Upon  his  return  to  Washington  Secretary  Taft  wrote  to  Mr.  Wulsin  repeating  and  emphasizing  the 
Government's  encouragement  in  the  following  words : 

"I  merely  repeat  now  what  I  said  to  your  joint  committee  in  Chicago  —  that  nothing  would  give  the  President  and  the 
gentlemen  charged  with  the  responsibility  for  the  construction  of  the  canal  greater  pleasure  than  a  visit  by  such  representative  mm  as 
the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Boston  and  St.  Louis,  to  the  Isthmus,  for  the  purpose  of  observing  the 
work  which  is  going  on  there.  I  have  a  strong  conviction  that  it  will  help  the  work  if  disinterested  witnesses  like  your  members  — 
men  of  business  experience  and  judgment  —  can  see  just  how  the  work  is  being  done,  and  can,  by  three  or  four  days'  observation, 
learn  the  surroundings  and  circumstances  under  which  the  great  enterprise  is  being  pushed. 

19 


"I  shall  take  great  pleasure  in  directing  Mr.  Shonts,  the  Chairman  of  the  Commission,  and  Mr.  Stevens,  the  Chief  Engineer, 
to  give  your  party  every  facility  for  seeing  and  understanding  everything  that  is  done  on  the  Isthmus  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Government.  I  understand  fully  that  your  purpose  is  to  pay  all  your  expenses,  and  that  this  is  not  a  junket,  but  an  expedition 
undertaken  for  the  public  weal,  and  I  am  glad  on  behalf  of  the  Government,  to  express  its  pleasure  in  the  proposed  visit." 

The  Clubs  appointed  representatives  to  take  charge  of  the  arrangements.  A  Joint  Committee  consisting  of 
Robert  Batcheller,  of  Boston,  Benjamin  Carpenter,  of  Chicago,  Harry  L.  Laws,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Hanford 
Crawford,  of  Saint  Louis,  met  in  New  York  and  undertook  the  task  of  chartering  a  steamer,  as  well  as  of 
arranging  an  itinerary.  The  "PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  a  fine  6000-ton  steamer  of  the  Hamburg-American  Line, 
was  selected.  The  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  built  for  travel  in  the  tropics,  having  large  state-rooms  and 
electric  fans,  and  being  otherwise  equipped  for  voyages  in  the  vicinity  of  the  equator. 

The  Commercial  Clubs  looked  forward  to  the  trip  to  Panama  as  meaning  much  more  than  the  interest 
in  a  three  weeks'  voyage  with  congenial  companionship.  In  no  sense  did  these  gentlemen,  who  were  going  to 
the  Isthmus  at  their  own  expense  to  observe  conditions  and  the  progress  of  the  canal  work,  pose  as  experts. 
They  did  not  expect  to  pronounce  conclusions  on  the  Gatun  Dam  or  the  Culebra  Cut,  but  as  organizations 
they  had  stood  in  close  relation  to  the  selection  of  the  Panama  route,  and  from  the  beginning  they  had  been 
the  mediums  for  the  dissemination  of  much  important  information  about  the  canal  project. 

When  Bunau-Varilla  came  to  the  United  States  to  interest  this  government  in  the  building  of  the  canal, 
it  was  as  the  sequence  to  an  invitation  cabled  by  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati.  And  that  invitation  came 
about  through  one  of  those  comparatively  trifling  incidents  which  some  times  lead  to  momentous  results. 

During  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1900  several  members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati  were  there  as 
exhibitors  or  visitors.  One  evening  Mr.  Taylor  and  Mr.  Procter,  two  of  these  members,  set  out  with 
Commander  Asher  C.  Baker,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  to  dinner.  Commander  Baker  suggested  a  typical 
restaurant  in  the  Latin  Quarter,  and  thither  the  three  Americans  went.  Looking  around  the  room  the  naval 
officer  recognized  Bunau-Varilla,  whom  he  knew  for  his  relationship  with  Le  Matin,  and  for  his  interest  in  the 
Panama  Canal  and  other  public  affairs.  Introductions  followed.  Bunau-Varilla  was  at  the  cafe  to  get  dinner, 
his  family  being  out  of  the  city.  The  four  gentlemen  dined  together.  The  next  day  Mr.  Taylor  gave 
a  luncheon  at  which  Mr.  Wulsin,  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati,  and  other  gentlemen  were  present  to 
meet  Bunau-Varilla.  Mr.  Wulsin  had  seen  and  had  given  some  study  to  the  model  of  the  proposed  canal 
exhibited  at  the  Exposition.  A  few  questions  started  a  most  entertaining  conversation  by  Bunau-Varilla.  A  very 
agreeable  two  hours  passed  and  apparently  that  was  the  end,  except  that  Bunau-Varilla  promised,  if  asked,  to 
come  to  the  United  States  and  present  his  views.  The  Cincinnati  gentlemen  came  home  to  find  Congress 
seemingly  about  to  commit  the  country  to  the  building  of  an  Isthmian  canal.  The  Canal  Commission  had 
reported  to  the  President.  The  House  of  Representatives  soon  after  the  opening  of  the  session  in  December 
passed  a  bill  authorizing  the  President  to  take  the  preliminary  steps  looking  to  the  location  of  the  canal  on  the 

20 


THE  JOINT  COMMITTEE  IN  SESSION 
Reading  from  left  to  right:     Robert  Batcheller,   Benj.   Carpenter,   Harry  L.   Laws,   Hanford  Crawford. 


Nicaragua  route.  The  Cincinnati  gentlemen  recalled  the  conversation  with  Bunau-Varilla.  They  spoke  to  Mr. 
Laws,  the  President  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati  that  year,  suggesting  that  an  invitation  be  sent  to 
Bunau-Varilla  to  come  over  and  to  deliver  an  address  upon  the  subject  of  an  Isthmian  canal  with  special 
reference  to  his  knowledge  as  an  engineer  of  the  Panama  project.  Mr.  Laws  at  once  authorized  the  sending  of 
the  invitation.  It  brought  prompt  acceptance. 

In  January,  1901,  the  distinguished  Frenchman  appeared  before  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of 
Cincinnati  and  their  guests.  He  told  why  the  Panama  route,  in  his  opinion,  was  the  most  feasible.  He  outlined 
a  plan  through  which  the  canal  concession  might  be  taken  off  the  hands  of  the  French  Canal  company  and 
under  which  the  canal  might  be  constructed  by  the  United  States.  The  next  day  the  Frenchman  met  at 
luncheon  several  members  of  the  Commercial  Club,  including  Mr.  Schmidlapp  and  Mr.  Wulsin.  Before  the 
party  separated  Mr.  Schmidlapp  had  talked  by  long  distance  phone  with  Myron  T.  Herrick  at  Cleveland,  and  it 
had  been  arranged  that  Bunau-Varilla  should  stop  a  few  hours  at  Cleveland  on  his  way  East  and  should  meet 
Mr.  Herrick.  and  some  friends.  Mr.  Schmidlapp,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Herrick,  vouched  for  the  exceedingly 
interesting  and  important  character  of  the  views  expressed  by  Bunau-Varilla. 

At  Cleveland  the  visitor  made  the  same  strong  impression  upon  his  hearers  that  he  had  made  at  Cincinnati. 
He  was  lunched  and  dined.  When  he  departed  it  was  with  the  request  of  Mr.  Herrick  that  he  go  to 
Washington  before  leaving  the  country  and  talk  with  Senator  Hanna.  Bunau-Varilla  went  to  Washington,  but 
failed  to  meet  Mr.  Hanna.  He  was  in  New  York  and  getting  ready  to  return  to  France  when  Mr.  Herrick 
and  Senator  Hanna  met  him  one  day  in  the  office  of  the  Waldorf.  It  was  entirely  a  chance  meeting. 

"Why,"  said  Mr.  Herrick,  "here  is  a  man  you  ought  to  meet,  Senator."  Senator  Hanna  was 
predisposed  in  favor  of  another  route  for  the  canal,  but,  upon  Mr.  Herrick's  request,  he  listened  good  humoredly 
to  the  Frenchman. 

The  result  of  this  series  of  accidental  meetings  was  that  Senior  Hanna  became  deeply  interested  in  the 
question  of  route.  He  went  exhaustively  into  the  subject.  He  took  the  information  he  obtained  from  Bunau- 
Varilla  to  President  McKinley,  at  the  White  House.  He  discussed  the  proposition  of  the  French  engineer  with 
fellow  Senators.  Bunau-Varilla  was  encouraged  to  attempt  the  education  of  his  own  people  and  government  to 
the  proposition  that  the  canal  project  be  turned  over  to  the  United  States  to  carry  out. 

Since  that  time  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  the  four  cities  have  taken  very  active  interest  in  the  canal. 
Bunau-Varilla  made  one  of  his  earliest  talks  in  this  country  under  the  auspices  of  the  Commercial  Club  of 
Boston.  When  Secretary  Taft  came  back  from  a  tour  of  investigation  on  the  Isthmus,  he  chose  the 
invitation  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis  as  the  medium  through  which  to  make  a  very  notable 
address  which  attracted  the  attention  of  the  whole  country. 

The  trip  of  the  Clubs  to   Panama  was  a  matter    of  deliberation  ;  it  was  the  occasion  of  much  preparation. 

23 


Not  only  were  the  details  carefully  arranged,  but  the  members  collected  and  carried  with  them  maps  and 
literature,  including  the  latest  government  reports  upon  the  canal. 

The  thoroughness  of  the  preparations  was  proven  in  many  ways.  In  detail,  the  itinerary,  as  framed  by  the 
Joint  Committee,  was  carried  out.  At  the  stopping  places  the  members  of  the  party  scattered  widely  in  the 
exercise  of  individual  curiosity  and  interest,  and  yet  there  was  no  waiting  when  the  schedule  called  for  departure 
and  no  one  was  left  behind.  So  effective  were  the  provisions  made  that  the  plans  for  travel  and  sightseeing 
ashore  were  carried  out  in  every  instance  almost  to  the  letter.  Not  a  piece  of  baggage  went  astray.  These 
results  were  not  accomplished  without  continuous  vigilance,  of  which  numberless  instances  will  be  easily  recalled. 
Starting  almost  simultaneously  from  the  four  cities,  the  members  of  the  party  came  together  at  Charleston  on 
the  20th  of  February.  Those  from  the  western  cities  were  first  to  arrive.  In  the  waiting  for  the  steamer  at 
the  dock  there  was  the  scene  of  Mr.  Nugent,  of  St.  Louis,  and  Mr.  Langdon,  of  Cincinnati,  on  patient  guard 
over  a  mountain  of  trunks  and  hand  baggage,  with  list  in  hand,  unrelaxing  the  supervision  until  the  last  piece 
had  been  claimed.  No  personally  conducted  company  of  tourists  ever  had  a  more  attentive  official  in  charge 
than  was  Samuel  M.  Felton,  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Chicago,  until  important  business  called  him  back, 
compelling  him  to  leave  the  train  at  Chattanooga. 

Strung  out  in  automobiles  and  carriages,  in  a  go-as-you-please  fashion,  on  the  old  Spanish  Military  Road 
between  San  Juan  and  Ponce,  with  drivers  who  spoke  no  English,  were  the  members  whom  Mr.  Laws,  of 
Cincinnati,  had  undertaken  to  see  through  to  the  southern  terminus  of  the  eighty-one  miles'  journey  in  time  to 
catch  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  which  had  steamed  around  the  Island.  High  up  in  the  Porto  Rican 
mountains,  at  Cayey,  with  dusk  coming  on,  Mr.  Laws  sat  behind  a  team  of  stallion  ponies,  which  refused  to  go 
a  step  further,  and  Ponce  was  thirty  miles  away.  Other  teams  of  ponies  galloped  by.  Encouraging  remarks 
floated  back.  That  was  one  of  the  memorable  scenes  to  which  neither  camera  nor  phonograph  could  do  justice. 
And  yet  Mr.  Laws'  good-natured  face  appeared  on  the  balcony  of  the  Ponce  Hotel  the  next  morning,  two 
hours  before  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  due  to  sail. 

In  the  two  days'  trip  across  Cuba  the  member  of  the  Joint  Committee  chosen  to  conduct  was  Hanford 
Crawford,  of  St.  Louis.  No  one  in  that  detachment  can  forget  Mr.  Crawford  calling  the  roll  at  Santiago, 
assigning  the  berths  at  Camaguey,  proposing  the  toasts  at  Guantanamo  and  returning  thanks  at  Matanzas. 

Nine  hours  in  Jamaica  with  Robert  Batcheller,  of  Boston,  was  better  than  a  week  without  this  charming 
conductor  to  Bog  Walk. 

On  the  llth  of  March,  as  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  was  nearing  Charleston,  the  sense  of  obligation  to 
the  four  members  of  the  Joint  Committee  found  expression  in  the  following  tribute,  which  was  adopted 
unanimously,  and  which  was  signed  by  every  other  member  of  the  party : 

"The  members  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  who  are  now  coming  to  the  end  of 

24 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  CHARLESTON 

The  Boston  Club  members  who  braved  Cape  Hatteras  the  first  time. 

Reading   from    left   to   right:     Front  row — Von  Leitner  (Captain),  F.   B.   Carpenter,   Elihu  Thomson,   William  Whitman,   Robert  M. 

Burnett,   William   B.   Lawrence.     Middle    row  —  Robert   Batcheller,   Henry   S.   Warren    (Surgeon),    W.    D.  Mandell,    Harry  L. 

Rice,   S.    Parker   Bremer,   J.    R.    Carter,    Stephen   L.    Bartlett,    Robert   A.    Boit,    H.   W.    Cumner,   Joseph   G.   Wright, 

J.    B.    Russell.     Third   row  —  Laurence  Minot,    R.    H.   W.   Dwight,   Charles  F.   Cutler,   Charles  S.   Dennison. 


this  most  successful  trip  to  Panama  and  the  West  Indies,  desiring  to  express  to  the  Joint  Committee,  Messrs.  Harry  L.  Laws,  Robert 
Batcheller,  Benjamin  Carpenter  and  Hanford  Crawford,  their  hearty  appreciation  of  the  thought,  time  and  labor  given  so  unselfishly  by 
them  to  the  making  of  the  preparations  for  this  excursion,  and  of  the  uniform  courtesy  and  efficiency  with  which  they  have  carried  out 
all  those  arrangements  and  provided  for  the  wants  and  comforts  of  all  the  party; 

"HEREBY    RESOLVE,   that   there    be   given   them,   not  only   a   unanimous  vote  of  thanks,   but    also  the   assurance    that  the 
memories  of  these  oleasant  experiences  will  always  call  to  mind  the  thoughtful  and  untiring  work  of  the  Joint  Committee." 


From  i  iketch  t>r  Mi.  R.  A.  Boil,  ol  the  Comracicill  Club  of  Boston,  nude  w  the  "Hai.Ni  JOACHIM"  wu  leitun  ihe  harbor  ol  Ponce. 


En  Route 


MEMBERS  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston  took  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  at  New  York  on 
the  evening  of  February  17th.  They  sailed  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  next  day.  The 
steamer  arrived  at  Charleston  about  five  o'clock  Wednesday  evening,  February  20th. 

Perhaps  the  less  said  about  the  voyage  in  the  vicinity  of  Hatteras  the  better.  There  were 
men,  ordinarily  stout-hearted,  on  land,  who  had  little  to  tell  about  the  latter  part  of  the  run  when  the  steamer 
drew  into  the  dock.  However,  they  mustered  valiantly  on  the  main  deck  and  shouted  a  welcome  to  the 
members  of  the  Clubs  from  the  West.  This  greeting  was  rather  at  variance  with  a  wireless  message  which  had 
come  from  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  not  yet  sighted,  while  the  men  from  the  West  were  killing  time  on  the 
dock.  The  sender  was  Benjamin  Carpenter,  Secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Chicago  and  a  member  of 
the  Joint  Committee.  Mr.  Carpenter  had  gone  to  New  York  and  had  taken  the  boat  there  with  the 
Bostonians.  This  was  his  message : 

"Boston    pirates   have    seized    the   ship    and   say   they   will    not   stop   at 

Charleston.      Wire    Secretary    Taft.      Tell    him    to   send    a    warship." 

Members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  left  their  cities  Monday  evening,  February 
18th,  the  Chicago  party  by  the  Big  Four,  the  St.  Louisans  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern.  Hurried 
greetings  were  exchanged  with  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati  in  the  station  of  that  city 
Tuesday  morning.  Sleeping  cars  were  switched.  By  special  train  on  the  Southern  system  the  members  of  the 
Commercial  Clubs  of  the  three  cities  started  from  Cincinnati  for  Charleston.  They  filled  five  sleeping  cars  and 
kept  a  diner  busy  at  meal  times.  The  party  was  carried  on  one  of  the  most  novel  tickets  in  American  railroad 
transportation.  The  slip  was  a  yard  in  length,  showing  on  successive  coupons  the  divisions  traveled,  and  having 
the  usual  auditor's  checks  upon  paid  transportation.  This  slip  cost  $1,512.00  (fifteen  hundred  and  twelve 
dollars).  It  paid  the  fare  at  regular  schedule  rates  for  every  member  of  the  party  from  Cincinnati  to  Charleston 
and  return.  From  St.  Louis  to  Cincinnati  members  paid  their  regular  fares.  The  Chicago  members  did  likewise 
between  Chicago  and  Cincinnati.  The  regular  sleeping  car  charges  were  paid,  and  whenever  a  member 
patronized  the  diner  he  gave  up  his  dollar  for  a  meal,  and  paid  for  his  mineral  water  and  other  extras  by  the 
card.  In  the  party  were  railroad  presidents  and  managers,  bank  presidents,  heads  of  many  of  the  largest 
mercantile  and  manufacturing  establishments  in  the  country.  The  professions  were  well  represented.  There 


If 


THE  CHOIR 

Lawrence  Maxwell,  Jr.,   Leader. 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Standing— F.  A.  Geier,  S.  Parker  Bremer,  H.  S.  Warren  (Surgeon),  W.  B.  Lawrence,  A.  H.  Chatfield, 

Benj.  Carpenter,  C.   H.  McCormick,  H.  C.  Yeiser.     Sitting  —  N.   H.  Davis,  Robt.  A.  Boit,  Henry  C.  Scott, 

Lawrence  Maxwell,  Jr.,   Edward  Goepper,   Geo.   M.   Wight,   Hanford  Crawford. 


were  no  favors  in   the  way  of  transportation,   beyond  that  superintendents  of  the  divisions  traversed  accompanied 
the  train  to  give  their  personal  attention  to  the  maintenance  of  the  time  schedule. 

The  journey  from  Cincinnati  was  over  the  old  Cincinnati  Southern,  which  the  city  of  Cincinnati  built 
years  ago,  at  an  expenditure  of  some  $20,000,000,  to  preserve  and  to  promote  that  city's  commercial  interests  in 
the  South.  Members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati  took  no  little  satisfaction  in  pointing  out  that  by 
the  terms  of  the  operation  of  the  road  under  lease,  the  interest  on  the  bonds  is  met,  the  payment  of  the  bonds 
is  insured,  and  at  the  end  of  a  period  of  sixty  years  the  city  will  receive  back  the  road  in  greatly  improved 
condition  with  the  cost  of  its  construction  paid  out  of  the  operation.  In  brief,  the  Cincinnati  members  pointed 
with  pride  to  their  Cincinnati  Southern  Railroad  experience  as  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  enterprises  the  city 
had  ever  engaged  in. 

One  of  the  first  notable  incidents  of  the  journey  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  to  Panama,  was  an  illustration 
of  the  most  recent  development  of  telegraphic  communication.  The  Clubs  of  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St. 
Louis,  traveling  by  rail  to  Charleston,  were  placed  in  direct  communication  with  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston 
on  board  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  en  route  from  New  York  to  Charleston.  The  following  wireless  telegram 
was  passed  around  among  the  members  of  the  Clubs  on  the  train: 

"  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  at  sea.  via  De  Forest  Wireless. 
Chicago  Commercial  Club, 

On  Board  Train: 

Greetings  from  "PRINZ    JOACHIM."     Fine  weather.     Band  playing. 
Everything  fine  and  dandy.  Carpenter. 

Passing  through  East  Tennessee,  the  members  of  the  party  took  no  ordinary  interest  in  the  evidences  of 
industrial  development  and  activity.  Each  iron  and  steel  making  center  was  scrutinized  by  men  familiar  with 
investments  in  that  section.  Everywhere  the  bla'st  furnaces  were  in  operation,  a  fact  which  was  commented 
upon  with  much  satisfaction.  Some  of  the  members  of  the  party  had  considerable  financial  interests  in  that 
section. 

At  Chattanooga  a  stop  of  half  an  hour  was  made.  The  travelers  got  out  for  a  breath  of  Lookout 
Mountain  air,  and  noted  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city. 

Atlanta  was  passed  about  midnight.  Augusta  was  reached  early  in  the  morning,  but  several  of  the 
members  of  the  Clubs  were  out  to  take  constitutionals  under  the  big  train  shed,  while  engines  were  being 
changed.  The  cotton  mills  on  both  sides  of  the  river  were  in  operation  with  the  day  shifts.  Their  magnitude, 
the  water  power,  the  neat  homes  of  the  operatives,  the  well  kept  appearance  of  the  grounds  about  the  great 
mill  buildings,  came  in  for  notice  and  favorable  comment  by  the  visitors  from  the  North. 

From  Augusta  to  Charleston  the  run  was  made  quickly  across  South  Carolina,  through  the  pines  of  the 
Aiken  region  and  over  the  plantation  country  nearer  the  coast. 

31 


The    Clubs    reached    Charleston    about    noon    without    a    single  old  Charleston  -  The  Fringe  House,  King  street, 

unpleasant  incident,  and  with  the  members  all  well  and  in  high,  good 
spirits.  While  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  steamer,  the  members  from 
the  West  took  carriages  and  rode  about  the  city.  They  were  the 
recipients  of  courtesies  from  citv  officials  and  members  of  business 
organizations  of  Charleston. 

The  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  sailed  from  Charleston  at  8  o'clock. 
So  gently  did  the  ship  leave  the  dock  that  the  movement  was  not 
noticed  for  some  time  by  many  who  were  at  the  tables  in  the 
dining  saloon.  It  was  only  when  someone,  glancing  through  the 
portholes,  saw  the  lights  of  the  city  seeming  to  move  away  that  the 
word  went  'round — "We're  off." 

Through    the    interchange    of    greetings,    the    story-telling,    the 
hilarity,    even    in    the   very   beginning    of    the  voyage,    ran  the  thread  of 
serious   purpose.     The  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was    not  an  hour  away  from 
the    wharf    at    Charleston    when    the    earnest    motive    showed    itself.       At    the 
close  of   the    first  meal   on   board,    R.    Henry   W.    Dwight,    Treasurer    of   the 
Commercial  Club  of  Boston,   brought    David    R.   Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  to  his  feet,    after 

a  humorous  reference  to  the  world-wide  distribution  of  the  World's  Fair  medals  and  the  claim  of  the  Bostonians 
to  be  "medaled"  for  braving  the  trip  from  New  York  by  sea.  Mr.  Francis  came  back  with  the  assertion 
that  the  gentlemen  who  conceived  and  carried  into  execution  this  expedition  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs 
to  Panama  certainly  deserved  nothing  less  than  grand  prizes.  Then  Mr.  Francis  sounded  the  key-note  in  a 
few  words,  which  were  enthusiastically  applauded.  He  said : 

"  I  do  not  know  of  any  better  time  to  express  what  I  feel  about  this  excursion,  upon  which  we  are  entering,  than  now  at  its 
inception.  Four  great  cities  of  this  country,  represented  on  this  occasion  by  organizations  composed  of  the  representative  men  of  their 
respective  cities,  have  concluded,  of  their  own  volition,  and  at  their  own  expense,  to  make  an  excursion  of  three  or  four  weeks'  duration 
in  order  to  inspect  the  progress  of  the  greatest  work  ever  undertaken  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States.  It  is  very  unusual  that 
such  men  should  enter  upon  such  a  mission.  Divesting  ourselves  of  partisanship,  we  have  decided  to  go  thousands  of  miles  to  inspect 
a  work  which  was  once  undertaken  and  afterwards  abandoned  by  one  of  the  greatest  nations  on  the  globe,  and  which  has  now  been 
undertaken  by  our  own  Government.  We  approach  this  duty,  or  this  excursion,  or  whatever  you  may  term  it,  with  unprejudiced 
minds.  We  feel,  however,  that  sense  of  proprietary  responsibility  which  is  inspired  by  our  pride  of  American  citizenship  and  our 
consequent  desire  to  see  our  Government  succeed  in  all  of  its  undertakings.  We  may  combine  pleasure  and  recreation  with  our  serious 
purpose  on  this  excursion,  but  I  am  sure  that  every  member  of  each  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  is  imbued  with  a  determination  to 
see  and  judge  for  himself.  We  all  cherish  a  patriotic  interest  in  this  union  of  the  two  oceans,  and  however  stupendous  the  undertaking, 
we  would  never  have  consented  for  another  country  to  perform  or  attempt  it  again. 

32 


"And  «o.   at  the  inception  of    this  voyage,    having  talked   about  the  serious       An  Aficr  Bre.kim Croup  on  Deck- R<-.dinr  (ton,  W. .<>  rl,W: 

.  _  t.  C- .  Ooshorn,  Alfred  L.  Bakr r ,  John  V  .  rirwell.  Jr. 

phases  of  this  excursion,  I  now  wish  to  again  felicitate  the  members  of  our 
respective  organizations  who  planned  this  excursion,  and  who  have  launched  it  so 
successfully." 

From  stem  to  stern  of  the  373  feet,  the  " PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was 
an  Eveless  Eden.     Not  a  pound   of  femininity  was  represented  in  the 
4789  tons  of  displacement.    That  is  why  the  door-plate  "  Fur  Damen  " 
did  not    count    on    this   trip.     The    members    of    the    Clubs  had 
unrestricted  use  of  the  ladies'  saloon  with  piano,  library  and  all.     The 
only  soprano  sound   heard    on    the   "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  when  the 
graphophone  ground  out  some  prima  donna's  selection.    The  conditions 
imposed  by  the  Joint  Committee  went  so    far  as  to  stipulate  that  the 
doctor   must    take    along    a   male    nurse.      All    of    this   may  appear  to 
be  ideal   from    the    masculine  point  of   view.     In  practice,  however,  it 
meant  business  for  the  wireless  telegraph  man,  who  worked  his  buzzing 
machine  overtime  sending    "a   few  words  to  my  wife,  you  know,  just 
to  let    her  understand  I   am  all  right."     It   meant    also    letter  writing 
at   all  hours   of   the  day  and   the  mailing  of  hundreds  of  postcards  at 
every   stopping    place.      The    day    after    the    "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  left 
Charleston  one  of  the  happiest  men  in  the  party  was  President  Whitelaw 
of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis,  when  he  found  upon  his  breakfast 
table    a    bunch    of    roses  with  a  card    showing  that    Mrs.  Whitelaw  had 
done   some   telegraphing    to    a    Charleston    florist    after    President  Whitelaw's 

departure  from  St.  Louis.    A  member  of  the  Boston  Club  exhibited  with   much  pride  a  letter  from  his  wife,  who 
is  in  Europe,  the  letter  having  followed   him  down  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  overtaken  him  in  the  West  Indies. 

In  the  evenings  when  the  travelers  gathered  in  the  smoking  room  and  the  ladies'  saloon,  the  graphophones 
were  turned  loose.  The  favorite  records  were  those  in  treble,  as  to  tone,  and  sentimental  as  to  character. 
"  Canned  music,"  Mr.  Wright,  of  St.  Louis,  called  it,  but  everybody  listened,  after  dinner. 

The  life  of  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  on  board  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  not 
monotonous.  Strenuous  might  apply  to  some  features  of  it.  There  was  golf  on  the  boat  deck,  shuffle-board 
and  ball  on  the  promenade  deck,  and  almost  anything  else  in  the  way  of  entertainment  on  the  saloon  and  upper 
decks.  There  was  music  by  the  German  band.  Graphophones  at  either  end  of  the  saloon  deck  supplied  music 
and  vaudeville  as  continuously  as  the  boat's  impressario  found  time  to  wind  the  machines.  Breakfast  followed 

n 


A  Group  on  Deck  —  From  Left  to  Right:  Rolla  Wells,  Stephen         *-k*»    o*»o     i,  ..r,.,-    "k«,J"    „       «.'    U*        »    I       1      •        ..u  •  T>        -n 

L.  Baniett,  Murray  Carieton.  ttle   sea  water      bad      at  eight   o  clock  in  the   morning.     Bouillon   was 

served  at  eleven;   luncheon   at   one;    coffee   and  tea  at  four;   dinner  at 
seven,  and  light  supper  at  eleven. 

Life  was  well  ordered.  The  government  aboard  was  vested  in 
the  Joint  Committee,  Mr.  Laws,  of  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Batcheller,  of 
Boston,  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Chicago,  and  Mr.  Crawford,  of  St. 
Louis.  These  gentlemen  arranged  all  programs,  listened  to  all 
suggestions  and  supplied  all  official  information. 

The  decisions   of  the   Joint   Committee   were   not  only  accepted, 
but    won    hearty    approval.     Many    of   the    rulings    were    experimental, 
for    the    expedition    was    without    precedents    to    guide.     The   "  PRINZ 
JOACHIM"    was    chartered    under    a    contract    which    covered    the 
staterooms  and  meals  and  other  accommodations   included   in  first-class 
passage.     The   contract   also  determined    the  itinerary.     But  there  still 
remained    open    the    question    of   supplies    usually    considered    extras  — 
mineral  water,  cigars,  cigarettes,  wines,  liquors,  playing  cards,  etc. — which 
are    issued,  as  a  rule,  on  the  order    of    the  traveler  and   charged  to   him. 
The  Committee  decided    that    such    supplies  should  be  paid  for  from  the 
common  fund.     Everything  on   board,   with   the   single   exception  of    service 
in  the  barber  shop,  was  free.     This  decision  proved  to   be  so  satisfactory  in 
its  operation  that  special  mention  of  it  seems  justified. 
The  detail  duties  of  the  Joint    Committee    were  divided.       Mr.  Laws  was  the 

medium  of  communication  with  Captain  von  Leitner.  He  was  navigation  officer,  so  far  as  the  Clubs  were 
concerned.  Mr.  Crawford  had  charge  of  the  staterooms  and  of  the  bathrooms.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  officer  of 
the  decks  and  the  arbiter  in  all  controversies  which  arose  in  the  smoking  room.  The  very  delicate  duties  of 
the  cuisine  supervision  and  of  the  dining  room  etiquette  devolved  upon  Mr.  Batcheller,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Batcheller 
was  a  diplomat.  The  first  decision  he  made  was  that  everybody  should  sit  where  he  pleased,  with  the  advice 
that  everybody  take  a  different  seat  at  each  meal,  so  as  to  get  well  acquainted  with  fellow  voyagers.  Mr. 
Batcheller's  next  fine  stroke  was  to  announce  that  anything  but  pajamas  would  be  sufficient  dress  for  the  dining 
room.  Each  day,  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  the  Joint  Committee  —  the  high  joints  —  got  together,  compared 
notes  on  past  kicks,  and  prepared  plans  for  the  future. 

The  first    Sabbath    on    board    the    "  PRINZ    JOACHIM  "    will    be    remembered    as    one    of   the    most    notable 
days   of  the   trip.      The  Joint    Committee    began    preparations    for    the    observance    of    the    day    by    appointing    a 

34 


committee  headed  by  Walker  Hill  and  Henry  C.  Scott,  of  St.  Louis.  Associated  with  Mr.  Hill  and  Mr.  Scott 
to  arrange  appropriate  observance  of  the  day  were  Homer  P.  Knapp  and  George  M.  Wright,  of  St.  Louis, 
Edward  Goepper,  President  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati,  F.  B.  Carpenter,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Scott  found 
a  valuable  auxiliary  in  the  person  of  Lawrence  Maxwell,  Jr.,  of  Cincinnati.  Mr.  Maxwell  is  remembered 
as  Solicitor  General  in  the  second  administration  of  President  Cleveland.  It  was  not  so  well  known  to  members 
of  the  Commercial  Clubs  that  Mr.  Maxwell  is  an  amateur  musician  of  no  ordinary  qualifications.  Mr.  Scott 
pressed  Mr.  Maxwell  into  service  with  the  result  that  the  musical  features  of  the  service  were  something 
unusual  in  excellence.  Mr.  Maxwell  arranged  the  scores  and  instructed  the  German  band  in  the  rendition  of 
good  American  hymns.  He  trained  a  choir  composed  of  Mr.  Goepper,  of  Cincinnati,  Dr.  Warren,  of  Boston,  Mr. 
Geicr  and  Mr.  Davis,  of  Cincinnati,  Mr.  McCormick,  of  Chicago,  Mr.  Bremer  and  Mr.  Lawrence,  of  Boston, 
Mr.  Farwell,  of  Chicago,  Mr.  Rowe  and  Mr.  Chatfield,  of  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Wright,  Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Crawford, 
of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Maxwell,  played  the  piano  and  conducted  his  combined  orchestra  and  choir.  Mr.  Scott, 
and  his  committee  selecetd  with  care  hymns  in  which  the  congregation  of  the  members  of  the  Clubs  could  join 
with  the  choir.  The  words  of  the  hymns  were  put  in  type  by  the  ship's  printer,  and  a  sufficient  number 
printed  on  cards  to  supply  all.  Captain  von  Leitner  and  several  officers  of  the  ship  attended  the  service. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  bugle  sounded.  There  had  been  an  air  of  quiet  expectancy  all  of  the  forenoon.  By 
common  consent,  and  without  a  suggestion  from  the  Joint  Committee,  the  usual  amusements  of  week  days  were 
umitted.  Members  of  the  Clubs  sat  about  the  decks,  looking  at  the  flying  fish,  reading  and  conversing.  At 
the  sound  of  the  bugle  everybody  moved  in  the  direction  of  the  dining  saloon,  which  had  been  prepared  for 
the  service.  The  band  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Maxwell  played  a  German  hymn.  When  Mr.  Walker  Hill 
arose  at  the  end  of  the  room  it  was  to  face  the  entire  membership  of  the  Clubs  on  board.  He  invited  all  to 
join  in  the  singing  and  gave  out  the  hymn — ( 

"Come,  Thou  Almighty  King, 
Help  us  Thy  name  to  sing." 

The  choir  and  orchestra  led  in  perfect  time.  Quite  generally  the  congregation  made  use  of  the  card 
copies  of  the  hymn.  The  singing  was  earnest  and  harmonious. 

"Let  us  pray,"  said  Mr.  Hill,  and  every  head  was  bowed.  The  Episcopal  service  was  followed.  Mr. 
Hill  read  the  prayer  in  a  manner  which  might  be  expected  of  one  who  was  brought  up  in  a  city  which  has 
twenty-one  Episcopal  churches,  and  whose  family  for  several  generations  has  been  represented  in  the  clergy. 
When  he  reached  the  Lord's  Prayer  the  members  of  the  Clubs  repeated  the  whole  in  unison.  The  same  was 
true  when  the  Creed  was  reached.  The  choir  and  orchestra  led  in  — 

"How  firm  a  foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  His  excellent  word." 

The  exercises  lasted   about   three  quarters  of  an   hour.     It   goes  without  saying  that   with   such   a  body  of 

3S 


American  business  and  professional  men  the  most  perfect  decorum  was  observed.  But  it  can  be  said  with 
propriety  that  the  spirit  of  reverence  and  interest  in  the  service  throughout  was  such  as  to  make  the  occasion 
very  impressive  and  such  as  to  afford  no  small  degree  of  satisfaction  to  the  Joint  Committee  and  to  the  special 
committee  which  had  prepared  the  order  of  the  day. 

After  the  service  the  members  sat  about  the  decks  in  groups,  reading  or  conversing.  The  first  Sabbath 
of  the  Commercial  Clubs  was  neither  a  dies  non  nor  was  it  like  a  week  day.  It  was  a  day  unto  itself  and  to 
be  most  pleasantly  remembered. 

On  Sunday,  March  3d,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  arose  to  find  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  headed 
toward  Jamaica,  and  rapidly  increasing  the  distance  from  Colon.  The  two  days  of  intensely  interesting 
observation  on  the  Canal  Zone  were  behind  them.  A  bright  sun  shone.  There  was  just  a  touch  of  coolness 
in  the  breeze  which  blew  over  the  Caribbean  from  the  North.  This  Sabbath  was  a  day  of  needed  physical  rest 
after  the  talks  and  walks  with  Chief  Engineer  Stevens  and  his  staff  on  the  Isthmus.  At  eleven  o'clock  the 
bugle  call  drew  a  full  attendance  into  the  dining  saloon.  The  choir  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Maxwell 

sang- 

''O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 
Our  home  for  years  to  come." 

Frank  J.  Jones,  of  Cincinnati,  who  had  been  chosen  by  the  Committee  to  conduct  the  exercises  of  the  day, 
read  selections  from  the  Episcopal  service.  The  choir  sang  — 

"My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee 

Thou  Lamb  of  Calvary." 
After  the  second  reading  the  choir  sang — 

"Jesus  shall  reign  where  'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run." 

The  services  closed  with  the  singing  of  the  Doxology  by  the  congregation. 

The  third  Sabbath  on  board  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  came  with  the  end  of  the  cruise  only  two  days 
away.  Services  were  conducted  by  William  Whitman  of  Boston.  There  was  added  solemnity  when  the  prayer 
for  the  sick  was  read.  In  a  near-by  stateroom  Charles  Gordon  Knox  lay  seriously  ill,  although  at  that  time  he 
was  not  thought  to  be  in  a  critical  condition.  The  choir  sang  impressively  — 

"  Nearer,   my  God,  to  Thee, 

Nearer  to  Thee." 
The  exercises  closed  with  the  entire  body  singing  — 

"Onward,   Christian  soldiers, 

Marching  as  to  war." 

Sabbaths  well  spent  were  the  three  which  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  passed  on  the  "  PRINZ 
JOACHIM." 


SUNDAY  AFTER  LEAVING  THE  ISTHMUS.     A  DAY  OF  REST. 

Reading   from    left   to   right:     Edward    Goepper,  Walker   Hill    (in   foreground),   Oscar   L.  Whitelaw,  Jos.   R.   Russell,  Jos.   D.   Bascom, 

John  Omwake,  L.  D.    Dozier,   James   A.  Green,   Chas.   W.  Durrell,  Jas.  E.  Mooney,  Stephen   L.  Bartlett,  Chas.  F.  Cutler,  Robt. 

Batcheller,    Harry    L.    Rice,    S.   Parker    Bremer,    L.    W.    Noyes,    William  Lodge,    Harry    L.    Laws,    Daniel    Catlin,    B.   W. 

Campbell,    E.    C.    Goshorn,    William   A.    Fuller,    Hanford    Crawford.      In   chairs:      From    front    to    back  — J.    T.    Carew, 

Charles     L.     Hutchinson,     Charles    W.     Knapp,     David     B.     Gamble,     D.     B.     Meacham,     George    O.     Carpenter. 


Washington's  Birthday 


THE    third    day    afloat    of    the    Commercial    Clubs    brought    Washington's    Birthday.      When    the   Joint 
Committee  notified  Captain    von    Leitner   of  the  desire    to    observe    the    day    he   smiled    and    promptly 
produced  United  States  flags  and  a  bust  of  the  Father  of  His  Country.     The   resources   of   the   ship 
were  put  at  the  command  of  the  Committee.     Under  the  direction  of  the  inspector,  Mr.  Fahrenheim, 
the  bust  was  placed  in  the  center  of  the  saloon  and  decorated   with  the  colors.     The  ship's  electrician  produced 
an  electric  star  which  was  placed  above  the  head  of  Washington.     The  head  chef  came  forward  with  his  special 
contribution    to    the    occasion,    a    copy    in    miniature    of    Liberty    Enlightening    the    World.      This    was    done    in 
parafine,  and  was  an  artistic  reproduction,  even  to  the  elrctric  torch  held  aloft.     The  flag  of  the  four  Clubs,  the 
field  embracing  the  four  colors,  blue  for  Boston,  red  for  Chicago,  yellow  for  Cincinnati  and  white  for  St.  Louis, 
was  displayed  at  the  front  of  the    saloon,    forming    the    background  for  the  speakers.      All    day  the  steward  and 
electrician  worked  in  the  saloon,  carrying  out  their  plan  of  decoration  with  a  zeal  and  taste  which  charmed  the 
travelers. 

Celebration  of  the  anniversary  began  early  in  the  morning.  The  travelers  arose  to  the  strains  of  the  Star- 
Spangled  Banner,"  and  when  they  came  from  their  staterooms  they  found  the  ship  dressed  in  flags  fore  and  aft. 
But  the  elaborate  formal  program  was  associated  with  the  dinner  hour.  At  seven  o'clock  the  members  of  the 
Clubs,  in  dinner  dress,  assembled  forward  and  marched  into  the  saloon  to  the  measures  of  a  Sousa  march  played 
by  the  German  band.  The  Joint  Committee  Had  arranged  the  program.  This  being  a  national  occasion,  rather 
than  an  official  function  of  the  Clubs,  the  committeemen  decided  to  go  outside  of  the  officers  of  the  Clubs  to 
elect  the  chairman  of  the  evening.  At  the  invitation  of  the  Committee  David  R.  Francis  accepted  the  duty  of 
presiding.  Immediately  after  the  soup,  Mr.  Francis  brought  to  their  feet  the  members  of  the  Clubs  with  this 

toast  to 

"THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  —  Wherever  patriotic  Americans  are  assembled,  whether  on  land  or  sea, 
whether  under  their  own  flag  or  under  the  flag  of  any  foreign  country;  wherever  toasts  are  proposed,  there  is  one  sentiment  that  is 
never  overlooked.  It  is  the  sentiment  —  not  to  our  ruler — the  American  people  have  no  ruler;  but  I  am  sure  you  will  all  join  me  in 
drinking  to  the  health  and  long  life  of  the  President  of  the  United  States." 

The  toast  was  received  with  cheers.  Mr.  Chalmers,  of  Chicago,  moved  that  a  committee  of  four,  one  from 
each  Club,  be  appointed  to  frame  a  message  to  be  sent  by  wireless  to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  The 
motion  was  carried  with  enthusiasm.  The  committee  was  named,  consisting  of  W.  J.  Chalmers,  of  Chicago, 


J.   B.   Russell,  of  Boston,   Charles  W.   Knapp,  of  St.  Louis,  and  W.  W.  Taylor,  of  Cincinnati.    Without  delay  the 
committee  proceeded  to  the  wireless  office  on  the  boat  deck  and  sent  the  following : 

On  Board  S.  S.   "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  February  22,   1907. 
The  President,  Washington,  D.  C. 

On   this   birthday    of    the    first    President,    greetings    are    tendered   to   his   worthy   successor    by    the    united 
Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,   Chicago,   Cincinnati  and  St.   Louis,   now  enroute  to  Panama. 

The  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  too  far  from  a  land  station  of  the  wireless  to  get  the  message  through  direct, 
but  the  operator  "picked  up"  a  coast-wise  steamer  equipped  with  the  apparatus,  and  the  coast-wise  steamer  was 
requested  to  send  the  message  on  to  a  land  station. 

Soon  after  the  forwarding  of  the  message  of  greeting  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Francis 
again  claimed  the  attention  of  the  Clubs,  proposing  a  toast  to  the  German  Emperor.  He  said : 

"We  are  sailing  in  a  foreign  steamer  under  a  foreign  flag  —  under  the  flag  of  Germany  —  on  a  boat  of  a  line  whose  steamers 
encircle  the  globe.  That  line  has  attained  its  present  efficiency  and  superiority  largely  through  the  influence  of  the  German  Emperor, 
who  looks  after,  not  only  the  political  welfare  of  his  people,  but  their  industrial  interests  as  well.  I  am  sure  you  will  join  with  me  in 
drinking  to  the  German  Emperor." 

Mr.  Francis  called  upon  Captain  von  Leitner  to  respond.  The  band  played  "Die  Wacht  am  Rhein "  and 
everybody  sang.  The  Captain  came  to  his  feet,  his  face  rosy  at  the  enthusiastic  reception.  There  were  shouts 
of  "  Hoch  der  Kaiser!"  "  Dreimal  Hoch  der  Kaiser!"  Captain  von  Leitner  showed  himself  something  of  a 
humorist  by  saying: 

"I  have  heard  your  toasts  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  to  the  German  Emperor,  and  I  think  I  can  do  no  better 
than  to  propose  in  return  three  cheers  for  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis." 

The  cheers  were  given  and  then  the  officers  of  the  ship  presented  the  chief  surprise  of  the  evening.  Every 
light  went  out.  The  star  above  and  the  circlet  about  the  bust  of  Washington  flashed.  The  flags  fluttered.  The 
members  of  the  Clubs  arose  and  voiced  their  appreciation.  But  this  was  not  all.  To  the  measures  of  a  march, 
Steward  Eggerstedt's  entire  force  of  assistant  stewards  and  waiters  in  sailor  shirts,  with  American  flags  looped 
over  their  shoulders,  filed  in.  Each  man  carried  an  American  flag  in  one  hand  while  in  the  other  he  held  high 
the  ice  cream  course.  The  cream  was  in  large  pineapples  resting  on  blocks  of  ice,  hollowed  to  form  lanterns. 
Inside  of  each  block  of  ice  burned  a  candle. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  menu,  the  Joint  Committee  sprung  a  happily  arranged  program.  Only  three 
speeches  were  permitted.  The  subjects  were  the  Past,  Present  and  Future  of  the  country.  As  St.  Louis  had 
furnished  the  presiding  officer,  to  the  other  Clubs  were  assigned  the  subjects  for  the  speeches.  Boston  was 
appropriately  given  the  Past.  Cincinnati  followed  with  the  Present,  while  the  orator  for  Chicago  addressed 
himself  to  the  problems  of  the  Future.  In  every  case  the  speaker  grasped  the  idea  had  in  mind  by  the  Joint 
Committee,  and  the  program  worked  out  perfectly. 


In  presenting  the  speakers,   Mr.  Francis  said: 

"I  believe  it  was  William  Makepeace  Thackeray  who  said  in  'The  Newcomes'  (it  has  been 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  forty  years  since  I  read  it)  that  George  Washington  was  the  greatest  boon  in 
the  shape  of  a  man  that  an  all-wise  Providence  had  conferred  upon  the   human  race.     Not  only 
was    he    the    Father    of    His    Country,   but    twice    its    saviour,    after    we     had    achieved     our 
independence.     The  most  critical  period  in  American   history  was  the  eleven  years  between  the 
gaining  of  our  independence  and  the  adoption  of  our  Constitution.     No  influence  other  than 
that  of  Washington  could  have  induced  the  Colonies  to  adopt  the  Constitution  ;  and  after  he 
became  President  of  the  United  States,  no  influence  other  than   his,  no  will   less  determined 
than  his,  could   have  prevented  our  Government  from  taking  sides   with   France  in  her  war 
with  Great  Britain.     It  was  his  influence  and  his  wisdom  that  kept  us  from  all   entangling 
alliances.     So  that  from  the  standpoint  of  citizens  of  the   United   States,  at  least,  no  man 
who  ever  breathed  the  free  air  of  America   is  entitled   to  one  tithe  of  the  credit  that  we 
should  cherish  for  George  Washington. 

"But  his   influence   is  not  confined    to  the    limits  of  our  own  country. 
You  cannot  go  to  any   part   of   the  civilized   globe   that   you    do   not   see   the 
effects  of  the   principles  espoused   and  championed  and  established   by  George . 
Washington.     By   virtue   of   the    independence   which    his    leadership   achieved 
in  this  country,  the  shackles  have  been  severed  from  the  limbs  of  the  oppressed 
throughout  the  world.     Today  in  the  Western    Hemisphere  there   is  not  an   independent 
country  that  is  not  a  Republic.    To  Washington's  influence  a  great  deal  of  that  condition 
of  affairs  may  be  attributed.     So  that  around   the  globe  the   influence  of  this   remarkable 
man  has  been  extended.    Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  to  his  work;  too  much  homage 
cannot  be  paid  to  his  memory.     And  we,  a  handful  of  American  citizens,  journeying  from 
one  part  of  the  Western   Hemisphere  to  another,  here  in  mid-ocean,  but  do  our  duty  when 
in    response   to  our    instincts   we   assemble    around   this   festive   board   to   do    honor  to    the 
memory  of  so  great  a  man.     The  history  of  the   United   States  has  impressed   itself  not  only 
upon   everyone   who  lives  under  the  flag,  but  upon  every   intelligent  mind  in  every  civilized 
country  on  the  globe. 

"This   evening  we  are   to  talk    about   ourselves  —  about    our   glorious  past,   about   our 
magnificent  present,   and  our   promising   future.      And   when  we  speak  of  the  past  our  minds 
naturally  revert  to  Faneuil   Hall  and  Boston  and  Massachusetts.     The   first  commercial   club   in 
the  United  States  was  organized  in  Boston.     We  who  are  members  of  commercial  clubs  in  other 
cities  of  the  United  States,  are  grateful  to  Boston  for  having  originated  the  idea,  and  for  having 
carried  into  execution  this  most  excellent   plan.     Therefore,  the  Committee  has  wisely  determined 
that   the    'Past   of   the   United   States'    shall   be   responded  to  by   a   son   of   Massachussetts,   by 
a    member    of    the    Commercial    Club    of    Boston,    by    a    man    who    not    only    represents    our 

EMU.   i \HRrNHrlM 

organization    in    that   commercial  metropolis   of    New    England,    but   who    represents    a    great       who  CM*  in»»  Hwb«»  10  ««•»•«»  rt* 
industry,   the  manufacture  of  cotton,  and   a  man,   who  in   addition   to  that,   stands  for  his  own  pirtj  »  impectni  o<  Ciminr. 

41 


individuality,    which     is    admired    by    all    who    know    him.      I    have    the    honor    to    introduce    to    you    Mr.    William    Whitman,    of 
Boston." 

Mr.  Whitman  said : 

"I  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  very  kind  presentation  of  my  name,  and  for  your  reference  to  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston;  and 
I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  for  your  cordial  reception. 

"Your  chairman  has  stated  to  you  that  those  who  are  expected  to  speak  tonight  have  been  given  but  brief  notice,  and  you  will 
readily  understand  that  under  the  conditions  which  have  ruled  on  the  ship,  there  has  been  little  time  for  preparation  ;  and  as  it  is  my 
habit  to  prepare  when  anything  elaborate  is  expected,  I  wish  to  make  apology  for  the  desultoriness  of  what  I  may  say. 

"I  shall  make  no  attempt  to  eulogize  the  great  man  whose  birth  we  commemorate  today.  His  place  in  history  is  firmly 
established.  He  is  universally  recognized  as  a  great  soldier,  a  great  statesman  and  a  lofty  patriot.  His  name  is  endeared  to  the 
American  people,  and  will  live  in  history  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  as  long  as  the  written  page  and  the  memory  of  man 
endure. 

"But  it  may  not  be  amiss  on  an  occasion  of  this  kind  to  allude  to  those  qualifications  of  the  first  President  of  the  United  States 
which  seem  to  me  to  have  made  him  an  ideal  Chief  Magistrate  of  our  great  Republic.  We  have  been  told  that  he  was  commanding  in 
person;  that  he  was  courteous  and  dignified  in  manner;  that  he  appreciated  and  understood  the  exalted  position  which  he  occupied, 
and  that  he  maintained  the  dignity  of  that  position.  His  poise  and  self-control  were  admirable.  He  exemplified  the  proverb  (I  do  not 
know  that  I  can  quote  it  accurately)  that  'He  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  better  than  he  that  taketh  a  city.'  Washington  was  a  born 
leader  and  commander  of  men,  and  possessed  that  remarkable  quality  which  I  cannot  describe  of  dominating  and  influencing  those 
about  him.  His  actions  were  in  harmony  with  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  his  country.  He  recognized  the  limits  of  his  functions.  I 
do  not  remember  any  encroachments  by  him  upon  the  federal  legislature  or  the  judiciary.  Self  was  lost  sight  of  in  exalted  patriotism. 
Although  acknowledged  to  be  the  greatest  man  of  his  time,  in  his  own  country,  he  appreciated  and  recognized  the  ability  of  those 
around  him. 

"But  I  am  called  upon  to  speak  of  the  Past.  Possibly  it  may  have  been  expected  that  I  should  refer  to  the  part  that  Boston 
has  played  in  the  history  of  this  country  from  prior  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence  down  to  the  present  time.  It  seems  to  me, 
however,  that  in  a  company  of  business  men  such  as  this  I  should  confine  myself  to  speaking  of  the  material  development  of  the 
country.  I  will  not  enter  into  much  detail.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that  during  the  past  century  this  country  has  taken  the  foremost 
position  among  the  nations  of  the  world,  in  agriculture,  in  manufactures,  in  mining,  and,  when  we  take  into  account  what  is  foreign, 
what  is  coastwise  and  what  is  internal,  in  commerce;  and  that  that  commerce  comes  as  a  consequence  of  the  development  of  our 
productive  industries.  This  development,  as  you  know,  is  the  wonder  of  the  world.  Pessimists  think  it  is  dangerous.  They  view  our 
growth  in  wealth  with  alarm.  The  accumulation  of  large  fortunes  they  regard  as  a  menace  to  the  Republic.  But,  Gentlemen,  there  is 
no  occasion  for  alarm.  There  is  a  fundamental  law  —  there  are  exceptions  to  that  law,  I  know  —  but  there  is  a  fundamental  law  that 
men  receive  only  in  proportion  to  their  contributions  to  the  public  good.  The  exceptions  are  rare.  Wealth  can  be  used  by  its 
possessors  for  the  public  welfare  only.  There  may  be  exceptions,  I  say,  but  to  what  use  can  accumulated  wealth  be  put  that  does  not 
inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  people  at  large?  It  may  not  be  a  good  simile,  but  in  this  connection  I  have  thought  often  of  the  little  rills 
that  come  down  the  mountains  and  empty  into  the  streams,  and  eventually  find  their  way  to  the  ocean,  and  then  the  water  that  flows 
into  the  ocean  goes  back,  by  the  operation  of  natural  laws,  to  its  original  sources. 

"The  inventions  and  discoveries  of  the  last  century  that  have  made  our  material  development  possible  have,  in  my  judgment, 
correspondingly  contributed  to  the  comfort,  the  happiness  and  the  uplifting  of  our  people.  Under  them  the  hours  of  labor  have  been 
reduced  and  the  wages  and  efficiency  of  labor  increased.  This  development,  as  a  whole,  has  been  brought  about  through  the 


Washington's  Birthday  — The   decorations  of  the  dining  saloon  prepared  for 
the  celebration. 


utilization  of  steam,  the  improvements  in  chemistry,  mechanics  and 
metallurgy,  and  the  wonderful  adaptation  of  electricity.  Let  us  think 
for  a  moment  what  we  have  on  this  ship,  and  compare  it  to  what 
could  have  been  had  in  Washington's  time,  or  even  up  to  a  few  years 
ago.  The  steamship  is  built  of  iron  and  steel,  and  iron  and  steel 
in  the  construction  of  steamships  came  into  use  within  a  few  years. 
Tlir  steamship  itself  is  no  older  than  some  of  the  gentlemen  present 
—  I  refer  to  no  one  in  particular.  Even  the  locomotive  and  the 
railway  have  taken  place  within  the  memory  of  people  now  living. 
But  to  revert  to  this  ship.  Think  of  what  electricity  has  done  for  us. 
I  have  no  doubt  there  are  some  here  who  were  born  on  a  farm. 
What  would  you  have  thought  in  your  early  days  —  some  of  you 
seated  around  this  table  —  of  a  room  lighted  like  this  is?  When 
I  was  a  boy  the  only  light  that  was  used  in  the  country  was  a  tallow 
candle.  Whale  oil  was  for  grand  occasions. 

"The  telephone  —  think  what  it  has  done  for  us.  And  most 
wonderful  of  all,  we  have  wireless  telegraphy.  By  an  instrument 
on  this  ship,  you  have  just  sent  a  message  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States  in  Washington. 

"We  are  apt  to  think  at  times  'of  the  good  old  days,' 
but  no  sensible  man  can  wish  to  go  back  to  them.  This  trip,  with  its 
concomitants,  would  have  been  impossible  a  few  years  ago,  without  the 
inventions  to  which  I  have  alluded.  This  trip,  as  someone  said  to  me 
tonight,  is  a  unique  one,  I  venture  to  say  the  first  of  its  kind 
ever  made  in  the  history  of  the  world,  the  commercial  clubs  of  four  of 
our  largest  cities,  at  their  own  expense  traveling  nearly  6,000  miles  to 
visit  all  these  widely  separated  parts  of  the  globe  within  twenty-four 
days. 

"  Morever,  I  consider  that  rapid  communication  — I  mean 
communication  by  sea,  by  rail,  by  means  of  the  telegraph  and  the 
telephone  —  is  one  of  the  greatest  instrumentalities  in  the  world's 
progress.  Everything  of  importance  that  occurs  today  in  any  particular  part  of  the  world  is  immediately  known  to  all  the  rest  of  the 
world.  So  that,  in  the  dissemination  of  knowledge,  rapid  communication  plays  an  important  part.  I  believe  too  that  rapid 
communication  is  bringing  about  gradually  what  we  all  long  for,  namely,  the  brotherhood  of  man.  It  is  bringing  all  people  into 
closer  touch  and  sympathy  with  each  other.  It  is  spreading  the  gospel  of  love  and  peace  to  all  men. 

"I  also  believe  the  moral,  spiritual  and  intellectual  development  of  the  country  has  kept  pace  with  our  material  development. 
I  need  not  refer  to  the  ^establishment  of  institutions  of  learning  and  to  institutions  for  original  scientific  research;  to  the  care  of  the 
State  for  the  sick,  the  unfortunate,  the  helpless  and  the  insane;  to  the  increased  educational  facilities  of  the  country;  or  to  the 
benevolence  of  individuals  for  the  same  purposes.  Every  member  of  each  of  the  Clubs  can  point  to  men  who  spend  the  best  part  of 
their  lives  in  carrying  out  these  benevolent  purposes,  and  none  more  so  than  the  gentlemen  from  the  Western  States. 

43 


"In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  something  that  perhaps  is  of  as  great  importance  in  connection  with  this  subject 
as  any.  It  is  but  a  few  more  than  fifty  years  since  anesthesia  was  discovered.  Just  think  of  the  human  suffering  that  has  been 
prevented  by  the  use  of  anesthesia.  It  is  only  within  a  few  years  that  antiseptics  were  discovered.  The  discoveries  of  anesthesia  and 
antiseptics  have  made  possible  the  great  advances  in  surgery.  Without  them,  the  wonderful  operations  that  are  daily  performed  would 
be  impracticable.  Think  of  the  discoveries  that  have  been  made  in  medical  science,  of  the  germ  theory  of  disease  and  of  germ 
destroyers.  Only  recently,  in  my  own  city,  has  been  discovered  the  germ  organization  of  small-pox.  But  as  I  am  not  to  speak  of  the 
Future,  I  will  let  you  imagine  what  will  come  from  that  discovery.  The  science  of  medicine  is  now  being  applied  to  the  prevention  as 
well  as  to  the  cure  of  disease,  and  the  prevention  of  disease  will  work  far  greater  changes  than  the  curing  of  disease.  We  shall  witness 
the  latest  triumphs  of  sanitary  science  on  the  Isthmus  and  in  Havana. 

"Now  the  point  of  my  remarks  is  to  say,  that  our  country  is  better  for  our  material  growth;  that  the  members  of  these 
Commercial  Clubs  have  been  great  factors  in  promoting  it;  that  we  recognize  the  contributions  of  science  to  the  well  being  of  mankind 
as  having  been  greater  in  our  day  than  in  all  the  days  that  went  before;  that  it  is  our  privilege  to  live  in  an  atmosphere  pulsating  with 
new  thoughts  and  the  discovery  of  latent  powers;  and  that  as  each  of  us  can  say  with  Saint  Paul,  that  he  is  '  a  citizen  of  no 
mean  city,'  all  of  us  can  rejoice  that  we  are  citizens  of  the  country  of  George  Washington,  a  country  dedicated  to  the  liberty 
and  progress  of  humanity,  which  has  become  in  many  respects  and  ought  to  be  in  all  respects,  an  exemplar  to  the  nations  of  the 
world." 

Introducing  the  next  speaker,  Mr.  James  A.  Green,  of  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Francis  said: 

"The  next  division  of  this  very  comprehensive  subject  of  the  United  States  is  'The  Present".  It  was  in  1783  that  the  treaty  of 
peace  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  was  signed,  and  the  next  great  event  in  our  national  history  occurred  twenty  years 
later  when,  on  April  30th,  1803,  by  a  memorable  treaty  signed  at  Paris,  our  limits  were  extended  to  include  the  Louisiana  Territory, 
or  virtually  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

"Just  ninety-six  years  thereafter,  on  the  llth  of  April,  1899,  was  signed  another  treaty  of  Paris  —  a  treaty  which  marked  the 
beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  United  States.  From  that  date  there  has  been  a  new  foreign  policy  —  not  a  colonial 
policy,  but  a  policy  which  extended  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  beyond  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific. 

"Today  we  are  living  under  the  provisions  of  that  treaty.  We  are  going  to  touch  at  one  or  more  of  our  acquired  possessions  — 
acquired  under  the  treaty  of  1899.  We  are  then  going  to  visit  another  possession  of  the  United  States  acquired  a  few  years  later,  which 
we  purchased  or  assumed  not  through  any  desire  of  aggrandizement,  but  through  a  sense  of  duty.  We  took  up  the  'white  man's  burden1' 

"The  present  policy  of  the  United  States,  glorious  as  has  been  our  past,  is  different  from  what  it  was  in  the  days  of  George 
Washington  and  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence. 

"A  member  of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial  Club  has  been  selected  to  respond  to  'The  Present'.  He  not  only  represents  our 
organization  in  that  city,  but  he  is  a  representative  citizen  of  what  was  in  my  boyhood  days  known  as  the  'Queen  City  of  the  West', 
and  in  his  commercial  pursuits  he  stands  for  one  of  the  greatest  industries  of  this  age,  iron  and  steel. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  present  to  you  Mr.  James  A.  Green,  of  Cincinnati." 

Mr.  Green  spoke  as  follows: 

"There  was  a  Kentucky  mountaineer  who  carne  to  deliver  an  address  in  Cincinnati,   and  he  began  with  the  remark,   'I  am  glad 


I  have  came'.     All  of  us  from  Cincinnati  are  'glad  we  have  came',  and  the  further  we  go   the  gladder  we  are.     We   feel  that  we   can 
best  express  our  thought  in  the  words  of  Thomas  Buchanan  Read,  whom  we  claim  for  our  own: 

'  Yon  deep  bark  goes 
Where  traffic  blows, 
From  lands  of  sun  tn  land*  of  snows. 
Our  happier  one, 
Its  course  has  run, 
From  lands  of  snows  to  lands  of  sun. 

Oh,  happy  ship, 

To  rise  and  dip, 

With  the  blue  crystal  at  your  lip, 

Oh,  happy  crew, 

Our  souls  with  you 

Sail  and  sail  and  sing  anew.' 

"America  of  today  is  my  topic  —  the  America  of  the  Present.  And  I  wish  I  had  the  happy  faculty  of  definition  of  the  little  girl 
in  the  physiology  class  who,  when  asked  to  define  spine,  said  it  was  'a  limber  bone — your  head  sets  on  one  end  and  you  set  on  the 
other.' 

"America  is  so  vast  that  no  one  definition  will  suit  it.  It  is  so  great  that  the  proudest  boast  of  the  mother  country  has  in  truth 
become  ours,  and  the  rising  sun  forever,  day  after  day,  gilds  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  our  outer  battlements.  It  is  so  varied  that 
while  they  are  harvesting  ice  in  Maine  today  they  are  simultaneously  plucking  oranges  in  Florida;  so  varied  that  while  the  eternal 
summer  clothes  in  everlasting  green  the  hillsides  in  Porto  Rico  and  the  Philippines,  yet  winter  without  end  spreads  its  deadly  pall  of  ice 
and  snow  upon  the  northern  shores  of  Alaska.  These  are  material  things.  We  also  have  lighted  such  a  torch  in  our  land  —  a  torch  of 
free  speech,  of  free  thought  and  of  freedom  —  that  it  lights  the  heavens,  and  all  the  world  may  read. 

"But  America  to  us  is  the  great  land  that  stretches  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific;  the  land  of  rivers  and  mountains  and 
of  lakes,  of  valleys  and  plains  so  fertile  that  the  world  has  nothing  to  offer  in  comparison  with  them;  the  land  that  flows  with  more 
milk  and  honey  than  ever  the  land  of  the  Prophets  of  Israel.  If  the  Psalmist  saw  the  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills,  we  Americans  see  the 
cattle  on  ten  thousand  times  a  thousand  hills.  And  all  are  ours.  They  used  to  say  that  we  Americans  were  provincial  —  and  never  was 
anything  more  true.  But  are  we  provincial  now  ?  As  Sir  Christopher  Wren's  epitaph  says,  '  look  about  you'  for  your  answer. 

"Here  we  are,  celebrating  in  feast  and  song  and  patriotic  words  the  memory  of  that  great  American  who  was  not  over-praised 
when  he  was  called  'First  in  War,  First  in  Peace  and  First  in  the  Hearts  of  His  Countrymen.'  Here  we  are,  Pilgrims  and  Puritans 
from  Boston;  hustlers  from  Chicago,  holding  as  their  heritage  the  great  Northwest;  enterprising  spirits  from  St.  Louis,  who  hold  as 
theii  domain  the  mighty  Southwest.  And  we  of  Cincinnati  —  and  modesty  forbids  me  to  say  as  I  would  fain  do  —  that  we  combine  in 
a  remarkable  degree  all  the  civic,  patriotic,  business  and  social  virtues;  so  that  our  city,  in  its  possession  of  such  citizens,  is  happy 
beyond  compare. 

"But  here  we  are,  Americans  born  and  bred,  Americans  to  the  bone  and  sinew,  going  to  an  American  possession,  on  a 
pilgrimage  of  great  import,  riding  on  a  German  boat  and  eating  a  dinner  from  a  French  menu,  served  on  English  china.  If  that  is 
not  cosmopolitan  what  is  cosmopolitan  ? 

"There  have  been  great  and   distinctive  periods  in  American  history.     All  of  us  here   have  been   brought  up   and  lived   through 


one    of  the    most    notable    periods,  that    of  the    Civil  War   and  the   Reconstruction  that   followed   it.      That    period  only    ended  with    the 
Spanish-American  War,   and  the  new  century  began  the  Present  for  America. 

"When  I  was  a  boy  I  was  brought  up  to  believe  —  and  doubtless  all  of  you  shared  the  same  opinion,  that  there  would  be  no 
more  war;  that  civilization  had  so  far  progressed  that  nations  would  no  longer  settle  their  quarrels  by  the  bloody  wager  of  battle,  but 
that  the  poet's  dream  would  be  realized  — 

'When  the  war  drums  are  all   muffled, 
And  the  battle  flags  are  furled, 
In  the  Parliament  of  Man, 
The  Federation  of  the  World.' 

"We  were  brought  up  as  young  men,  I  know,  with  the  belief  that  our  genius  was  not  war  but  peace;  and  that  our  nation's 
hope  was  not  war  but  peace;  and  I,  for  one,  am  not  a  man  to  unduly  exalt  the  soldier  or  to  think  him  the  hero  above  heroes.  I 
believe  that  the  victories  of  peace  are  far  more  renowned  than  those  of  war,  and  that  the  discoverer  who  gives  to  the  world  a  new 
continent;  the  pioneer  who  lays  low  the  forest  and  lets  in  the  sunlight  upon  the  fertile  fields;  the  man  who  unites  cities  and  states 
by  great  railroads;  the  man  who  flashes  on  electric  wires  the  thought  of  the  world  around  the  globe  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell 
it;  the  men  who  have  made  life  better  and  sweeter  and  easier,  because  of  the  multitudinous  inventions  of  this  modern  day  —  they  are 
the  heroes  of  the  world  and  the  benefactors  of  their  time. 

"Yet,  in  spite  of  this,  there  is  something  about  war  that  is  not  to  be  gainsaid.  The  triumphant  peal  of  battle  seems  to  arouse 
a  nation  and  a  people  as  nothing  else  can  do.  I  will  not  speak  of  the  marvelous  example  of  this,  that  is  given  now  in  the  victory  of 
Japan.  The  results  of  the  Japanese-Russian  War  may  not  be  worked  out  for  a  century,  so  far-reaching  will  be  their  influence.  But 
the  war  with  Spain  sent  a  trumpet  blast  through  the  American  people,  arousing  them  to  a  new  sense  of  their  own  potentialities.  We 
now  have  visions  of  our  opportunities,  and  American  thought  has  changed  its  form  and  attitude.  A  provincial  people,  we  have  become 
a  world-power;  a  self-contained  people,  we  have  colonies  and  islands,  and  principalities  and  powers  depending  upon  us.  The  foreign 
entanglements  that  the  revered  Father  of  his  Country  warned  us  against,  are  crowding  upon  us  in  a  score  of  ways. 

"Then  at  home,  no  less  than  abroad,  we  have  changed.  There  was  a  time  when  the  ordinary  thought  could  be  expressed  in 
thousands;  now  by  the  great  consolidations  of  business  interests  men  have  changed  things  so  that  they  think  not  only  in  millions,  but 
in  billions.  Fresh  life,  fresh  enterprise  and  new  ideas  are  throbbing  through  and  about  us.  We  are  tonight  voyaging  to  visit 
the  beautiful  island  that  came  to  us  as  a  result  of  the  war  with  Spain,  and  to  visit  the  much  larger  and  more  important  island 
—  practically  as  large  as  some  of  the  countries  of  Europe  —  the  burden  of  which  is  upon  our  shoulders. 

"But  more  than  that.  We  are  going  to  see  one  of  the  logical  results  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Spanish- American  War.  Uncle 
Sam  has  stretched  out  his  hand,  across  the  thousands  of  miles  of  land  and  water  that  intervene  between  us  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
to  take  up  the  work  laid  down  by  another,  and  to  carry  it  to  successful  completion  ;  and  when  completed,  it  will  not  be  the 
eighth  wonder  of  the  world,  but  the  first. 

"The  Spanish-American  War  made  obsolete  all  of  the  geographies  of  the  world,  as  it  wiped  Spain  from  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Pacific ;  and  the  Panama  Canal  will  work  a  more  startling  change  in  the  commerce  of  the  world  than  war  has  ever  made. 
America  has  made  many  contributions  to  mankind  ;  it  has  given  the  world  many  great  and  high  gifts,  but  the  Panama  Canal  will  be 
the  greatest  contribution  that  any  nation  has  ever  made  to  the  general  welfare  of  mankind. 

"  And  this  is  the  greatest  task  that  any  nation  has  ever  undertaken,  and  it  will  stand  as  a  monument  of  the  present  era. 

"The  marvelous  thing  about  all  these  changes  of  thought,  and  of  attitude  on  the  part  of  our  country,  is  that  democracy  is  in  no 
whit  changed.  There  never  was  a  time  when  a  patriot  could  be  more  of  a  patriot  than  today.  There  never  was  a  time  when  we  were 

46 


A    CONGENIAL   GROUP 

From    left    to    right:      Those    sitting — George    M.    Wright,    John    R.    Morron,    David    R.    Francis,    Joy    Morton,    Clyde    M.    Carr, 

Those  standing— Alfred  L.   Baker,  L.  D.  Dozier,  Rolla  Wells. 


more  certain  than  we  are  today,  that  Americans  can  rise  to  the  full  measure  of  every  opportunity,  and  that  patriotism  has  not  gone  to 
seed,  but  is  still  in  the  flower  of  what  I  believe  will  be  an  immortal  youth. 

"The  greatest  and  best  things  that  the  fathers  have  given  us  are  with  us  still.  The  spirit  and  example  of  Washington  are  our 
heritage.  His  bravery,  his  unselfishness,  his  devotion  to  his  country  and  his  honesty,  'time  cannot  wither  nor  custom  change.'  We 
have  grown  cosmopolitan  ;  we  have  grown  great ;  we  are  admitted  to  the  family  of  nations ;  we  sit  at  the  first  table ;  we  are  rich.  The 
statistics  of  our  prosperity  are  overwhelming  and  incomprehensible.  And  yet  the  Republic  is  and  ever  will  be  the  same  glorious 
Republic.  And  as  we  sail  on  across  the  seas  tonight,  how  many  of  you  must  have  thought : 

'Sail  on,  Oh  Ship  of  State, 
Sail  on,  Oh  Union  strong  and  great; 
Humanity  with  all  its  fears, 
With  all  its  hope  of  future  yean, 
Is  waiting  on  thy  fate.'  ' 

Introducing  the  last  speaker,  Mr.  Alfred  L.  Baker,  of  Chicago,  Mr.  Francis  said: 

"The  third  and  last  division  of  this  subject  will  be  very  appropriately  responded  to  by  a  Chicagoan. 

"What  a  boundless  vista  opens  up  before  us  when  we  speak  and  think  of  the  Future.  I  shall  not  intrench  upon  what  the 
next  speaker  is  going  to  say,  but  I  wish  to  express  this  thought  (which  I  believe  I  may  do  without  encroaching  upon  his  subject) 
about  the  name  we  bear,  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  the  four  cities  whence  we  hail  (and  I  do  not  mean  to  cast  any  reflection  upon  the 
two  great  cities  not  represented  here)  I  mean  to  say  that  we  are  not  commercial  clubs  in  the  sense  of  our  worshipping  commercialism. 
There  is  something  higher  and  better  than  commercialism.  We  are  patriotic  organizations,  and  when  it  comes  to  an  issue  between 
commercialism  and  the  country  to  which  we  are  proud  to  claim  allegiance,  is  there  a  man  in  any  of  these  Clubs  who  doubts  which  side 
these  organizations  would  take  ?  We  are  not  banded  together  to  promote  commercialism  in  its  modern  sense.  We  are  public-spirited 
organizations.  This  mission  demonstrates  that,  if  any  other  evidence  were  required.  And  if  we  would  preserve  these  organizations,  if 
we  would  follow  them  to  the  ends  of  their  existence,  we  should  choose  patriotism  rather  than  commercialism. 

"But  it  is  the  Future  about  which  we  are  to  listen,  and  the  gentleman  who  is  to  respond  to  that  sentiment  is  not  only  from 
Chicago,  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  that  City, -but  he  is  the  man  who  represents  the  interests  that  provide  the  capital  for 
the  development  of  our  boundless  resources;  the  man  who  places  the  securities  and  sells  the  stock  to  provide  the  money  for  the 
establishment  of  our  industries  and  the  development  of  our  incomparable  resources.  Gentlemen,  Mr.  Alfred  L.  Baker,  of  Chicago." 

Mr.  Baker  spoke  as  follows : 

"The  eloquence  of  the  gentleman  who  has  preceded  me  proves  that  he  should  have  been  the  last  speaker.  It  is  a  bad  plan  to 
end  an  occasion  of  this  sort  with  an  anti-climax,  but  the  enthusiasm  which  the  last  speaker  aroused  makes  me  fear  such  a  catastrophe. 

"In  the  first  place,  I  feel  not  unlike  the  celebrated  Irish  politician,  O'Connor,  who  once  in  an  after-dinner  speech  in 
Philadelphia  began  somewhat  as  follows :  '  I  confess  that  I  dread  making  after-dinner  speeches.  At  a  sumptuous  dinner  such  as  this, 
if  I  know  at  the  end  I  must  make  a  speech,  I  am  nervous,  I  lose  my  appetite,  and  can  admire  nothing,  even  in  the  best  efforts  of  the 
Chef.  In  truth,  gentlemen,  I  readily  imagine  Daniel  heaving  a  sigh  of  relief  —  when  the  lions  drew  near  to  devour  him  —  heaving  * 
sigh  of  relief  and  murmuring  to  himself:  Well,  if  there  is  to  be  any  after-dinner  speaking  done  on  this  occasion,  at  least  it  will  not 
be  done  by  me.' 

"It  is  a  custom  in  the  Chicago  Commercial  Club  that  no  man  should  refuse  to  do  anything  reasonable  which  he  is  asked  to  do. 
I  should  feel  recreant  in  loyalty,  both  to  my  Club  and  to  my  country,  however  stammering  the  attempt  or  feeble  the  result,  if  on  this 

49 


day,  the  birthday  of  the  first  President,  I  should  not  do  my  utmost  to  honor  the  memory  of  him  to  whom  this  country  owes  its  first 
great  impetus  and  inspiration. 

"We  have  listened  to  the  recital  of  our  country's  record  in  the  past,  to  the  glorious  history  of  its  present,  and  I  am  now 
requested  to  voice  the  predictions  of  its  future. 

"Long  ago  John  Adams  predicted  that  Alexandria,  a  town  in  Virginia,  would  some  time  become  one  of  the  greatest  commercial 
ports  in  the  world.  Today  the  steamer  on  its  way  to  Mount  Vernon  stops  at  Alexandria  only  when  it  is  flagged.  George  Washington, 
the  millionaire  of  his  time,  invested  money  in  wharf  property  in  Georgetown  which  today  would  not  bring  as  much  as  he  paid  for  it. 
Thomas  Jefferson  predicted  that  eventually  in  this  country  there  would  be  three  associated  republics,  divided  by  the  great  mountain 
ranges,  one  east  of  the  Alleghenies,  one  between  the  Alleghenies  and  the  Rockies,  and  one  west  of  the  Rockies  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

"In  view  of  these  three  illustrious  failures  of  prophetic  wisdom,  it  would  seem  that  any  predictions  I  might  make  would  go  not 
much  further  astray. 

"The  tremendous  changes  undreamed  of  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  have  been  brought  about  by  largely  increased  scientific 
knowledge ;  by  the  telegraph,  the  telephone,  the  railway,  the  discovery  and  appliance  of  steam  and  electricity,  and  by  the  modern 
methods  of  organization,  the  development  and  growth  of  corporations. 

"In  a  recent  book  called  the  'New  Internationalism"  is  given  Gladstone's  statement  that  the  entire  accumulation  of  wealth 
during  the  1800  years  following  the  birth  of  Christ  only  equals  the  amount  of  wealth  produced  during  the  first  fifty  years  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century;  and  he  adds  that  the  following  twenty  years  —  that  is  from  1850  to  1870  —  produced  as  much  wealth  as  the 
previous  fifty  years.  Therefore  within  a  lifetime,  covering  a  period  of  three  score  and  ten  years,  the  amount  of  wealth  produced  was 
double  that  which  had  been  accumulated  since  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era. 

"And  when  we  realize  tonight  that  the  amount  of  wealth  which  has  been  produced  since  1870  makes  even  Gladstone's  figures 
look  small,  we  are  almost  bewildered  by  the  magnitude  of  what  has  been  produced  during  the  last  twenty  years,  being  probably 
greater  than  the  grand  total  of  all  the  years  which  have  preceded. 

"Mr.  Whitman,  the  first  speaker  of  the  evening,  referred  to  our  country  as  having  become  a  great  world  power  and  compared 
our  commercial  and  industrial  size  with  England  and  with  Germany.  It  seems  to  me  that  he  does  not  go  far  enough  ;  we  no  longer 
can  be  content  to  make  comparisons  with  any  single  European  nation.  Our  own  territory  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  Oceans 
equals  the  entire  territory  of  Great  Britain  and  Europe  west  of  Russia.  It  has  more  natural  resources,  more  fertile  soil,  more  coal, 
iron,  copper,  more  mineral  wealth  of  every  nature  and  description ;  and  the  wealth  which  it  has  already  produced  is  but  a  few 
hundred  millions  short  of  one-half  of  the  combined  wealth  of  all  these  countries  in  Europe,  viz.:  Great  Britain,  Germany,  France, 
Austria,  Italy  and  Spain.  We  thus  should  soon  in  the  future  begin  making  comparisons  of  the  United  States  and  the  entire  continent 
of  Europe;  and  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  become  self-satisfied  until  our  annual  wealth  and  our  commercial  prosperity  equal  in 
magnitude  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  all  of 'the  powers  in  Europe. 

"Even  this  will  not  be  so  wonderful  a  transformation  as  has  already  occurred  since  the  death  of  Washington.  The  beginning 
of  this  vast  movement  of  commercial  and  industrial  activity  was  the  factory  system  and  the  growth  of  the  corporations.  These  factories 
soon  began  to  combine  among  themselves,  and  today  we  have  as  a  consequence  tremendous  organizations  and  aggregations  of  capital, 
which  are  practically  under  one  management,  such  as  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation,  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  the  Leather  and 
Shoe  Machinery  Company,  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company.  And  so  I  might  go  on  and  indicate  how  nearly  all 
individual  enterprise  has  become  absorbed  in  these  larger  associations  of  capital. 

"None  of  these  things  was  dreamed  of  in  the  days  of  Washington;  and  it  seems  to  me  that  one  of  the  serious  questions  of  the 
future  is  the  influence  of  these  large  corporations  on  the  political  and  social  happiness  of  our  people.  A  larger  and  deeper  sense  of 

50 


trusteeship  must  be  developed  than  now  exists.  It  seems  to  me  most  fitting  that  on  the  birthdays  of  such  great  men  as  Lincoln  and 
Washington,  organizations  like  our  own  should  have  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  seriously  considering  these  problems  of  our  social  and 
political  life.  Such  meetings  will  tend  to  awaken  in  our  minds  a  livelier  interest  in  public  affairs. 

"  Each  one  of  you  gentlemen  has  accomplished  success  in  the  line  of  business  to  which  you  have  devoted  your  brains  and 
energy,  and  each  one  of  you  undoubtedly  realizes  that  the  time  has  come  when  something  further  is  necessary,  larger  views  must  be 
entertained,  a  wider  interest  cultivated  and  a  greater  responsibility  recognized,  than  that  which  pertains  to  our  own  personal  business 
concerns.  There  is  constantly  going  on  in  the  world  a  modification  of  individual  selfishness.  It  has  been  going  on  for  centuries.  Out 
of  it  have  developed  the  civilization,  the  representative  governments,  and  the  law  and  order  of  today. 

"The  time  has  come  for  the  selfishness  of  the  money  maker  and  of  the  business  man  to  become  still  more  modified,  in  order 
that  he  may  adjust  himself  to  the  requirements  and  demands  of  the  social  and,  political  life  of  this  generation. 

"And  on  this  anniversary  of  so  illustrious  an  American  it  is  well  to  be  reminded  of  the  ideal  which  Washington  creates  in  our 
minds.  It  is  not  a  mere  recital  of  his  achievements  which  arouses  our  enthusiasm  when  our  memory  dwells  upon  his  name  and 
character.  It  is  something  more  than  this;  it  is  a  personality,  a  spiritual  force  which  he  has  left  us  to  feel,  to  admire  and  to  imitate. 
It  is  the  spirit  in  which  he  worked  more  than  the  works  which  he  achieved,  which  renders  his  name  immortal. 

"And  as  we  bear  his  qualities  in  mind  amid  the  serious,  social,  economic  and  political  problems  of  today  and  those  looming  up 
in  the  future,  I  know  of  no  better  way  of  ending  my  remarks  than  to  paraphrase  the  closing  paragraph  of  Choate's  euology  on  Webster: 

"  'On  the  battlefield,  someone  in  the  agony  of  the  need  of  a  general,  exclaimed:  "Oh,  for  one  hour  qf  Conde'."  So  I  feel  like 
exclaiming  tonight:  "Oh,  for  one  hour  of  Washington  now."  One  more  bold  and  brave  counsel  of  moderation;  one  more  throb  of 
American  feeling;  one  more  inspiration  from  his  majestic  presence;  one  more  farewell  address;  and  then  might  he  ascend  unhindered  to 
the  bosom  of  his  Father  and  his  God.'  ' 

As  the  celebration  came  to  an  end  the  members  of  the  Clubs  scattered  to  the  promenade  deck  and  to 
the  smoking  room.  Mr.  Dwight,  of  Boston,  voiced  the  general  sentiment  as  he  commented:  "I  don't  remember 
to  have  witnessed  on  land  a  better  observance  of  Washington's  Birthday  than  this  has  been." 


THE  FREXCH  Jl  XK  OX  THE  ISTHMI  - 

Abandoned  locomotive!  end  other  machinery  and  material  of  the  de  LeMept  retime,  at  Empire. 

SI 


St.  Thomas 


FOUR  nights  and  four  days,  less  two  hours  by  the  log  of  the  "Dampschiff  'PRINZ  JOACHIM,'  von  Leitner, 
Captain",  was  required  for  the  1186  miles  between  Charleston  and  St.  Thomas.  An  early  dinner  was 
provided  Sunday  evening,  February  24th,  and  when  the  members  came  out  on  the  promenade  deck, 
the  headlands  of  Virgin  Island,  better  known  to  the  travelers  of  today  as  St.  Thomas,  were  looming 
over  the  bow  and  on  the  port  side.  The  steamer  leisurely  made  headway  into  the  harbor  of  Charlotte  Amalie, 
capital  city  of  the  little  island,  checking  speed  to  pick  up  the  pilot.  The  navigator  of  the  expedition,  Mr. 
Batcheller,  of  Boston,  explained  why  it  had  been  necessary  to  come  forty-three  miles  east  of  Porto  Rico  and  to 
make  this  stop.  A  steamship  sailing  under  a  foreign  flag,  he  said,  must  make  a  foreign  port  after  leaving  an 
American  port,  before  it  can  enter  a  second  American  port.  It  was  true  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  had  called  at 
Charleston  after  leaving  New  York,  but  that  had  required  a  special  dispensation  from  Washington,  to  accommodate 
the  Commercial  Clubs  of  the  western  cities.  While  the  quarantine  and  port  officers  were  going  through  the 
usual  formalities  with  Captain  von  Leitner,  the  negro  boatmen  swarmed  about  the  foot  of  the  ladder  offering 
their  services  to  take  the  voyagers  ashore.  They  were  noisy  and  importunate.  Dusk  came  on  and  the  lights  of 
Charlotte  Amalie  were  numerous  before  the  steam  launch  was  ready  to  leave  the  ship's  side  with  its  tow  of  life 
boats.  With  a  parting  injunction  from  the  Joint  Committee  to  be  on  board  again  at  11  p.  m.  sharp,  the 
members  of  the  Clubs  almost  to  a  man  left  the  ship.  At  the  dock  they  were  welcomed  by  a  large  percentage 
of  the  population  of  the  city  —  a  degree  of  interest  in  the  party  which  was  better  appreciated  when  Mr.  Leroy 
Nolte,  Editor  of  the  St.  Thomas  Tidende,  exhibited  a  copy  of  his  paper  of  the  previous  morning  which 
contained  the  following: 

"The  billionaires  on  the  '  PRINZ  JOACHIM'  are  due  tomorrow.  As  a  matter  of  accommodation,  we  learn  that  His  Honor,  the 
Police  Master,  has  given  permission  to  merchants  to  open  their  stores  both  tomorrow  and  next  Sunday  during  the  time  that  the  tourist 
steamer  is  in  port.  This  deserves  thanks." 

By  the  itinerary  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  should  have  dropped  anchor  in  the  fine  harbor  of  St.  Thomas  at 
two  o'clock,  Sunday  afternoon,  but  the  seven  hours  lost  at  Charleston,  owing  to  the  bad  weather  off  Hatteras, 
had  not  been  made  up.  The  citizens  of  Charlotte  Amalie  were  disappointed.  They,  however,  showed  the 
proper  spirit  of  accommodation  referred  to  in  the  permission  of  the  Police  Master.  They  kept  open  their  stores 
until  the  demands  of  the  "billionaires"  for  post  cards,  panama  hats,  duck  suits  and  bay  rum  had  been  entirely 
satisfied. 


St.  Thomas  is  thirteen   miles  long  and  three  miles  wide,   with   a  population  of  10,000. 
There  have  been  times  in  the  history  of  the  West   Indies  when  the  little   Danish   possession   belot" 
cut    quite    an    international    figure.     Today    the    island    is    of    interest    chiefly    for    its    quaint 
attractions  for  tourists.     The  members  of  the  Clubs  did  Charlotte  Amalie  quite  thoroughly  in 
the  three  hours  ashore.     As  they  landed  at  King's  Wharf  they  scattered  widely.    Some  visited 
Government    House,    an    imposing    building   for   so    small    a   colonial    possession.      One    group 
composed  of  Mr.  Scott,   Mr.  Jones  and  Mr.  Knox,  of  St.  Louis,  climbed  the  hill  and  found j 
a  beautiful   tropical   garden  through  which   the  charming  young  daughter  of  a  foreign  consul 
conducted  them.    Mr.  Nugent,  of  St.  Louis,  piloted  a  party  to  a  very  old  and  quaint  church. 
"  Blue  Beard's  Castle,"  the  name   given  to  the  place  of  retirement,  according  to  tradition,  of 
one  of  the  pirates  when  the  Jolly  Roger  flew  at  the  masthead  in  the  Caribbean,  was  visited. 
Mr.   Bascom  and  several  members,  who  had  started    for  the  tropics  without  much  thought  of 
raiment,    discovered    that    the    stores    of    Charlotte    Amalie    were    well    stocked    with    duck 
suits  of  excellent  quality.       Bay  rum  is  one  of  the  staples  of  the  Danish  West  Indies.    It  was 
purchased   in  quart  bottles,  and   carried  aboard   the  "  PRINZ   JOACHIM  "  in   quantities  sufficient 
to  fill  bath  tubs. 

Very  entertaining  the  members  found   the  narrow  streets,  the  heavy  stone  buildings,  the 
quick   spoken  and   courteous  people  of  Charlotte  Amalie.     Plainly  the  local   disposition  was  to 
make  the   stay   as  agreeable   as    possible.     Questioning  developed   the  fact    that    the    people    of 
St.  Thomas   make  it   their  chief   vocation    to    entertain  and    interest  visitors   from  other 
countries.     There    was    no    resentment,    only    an    apologetic    manner   in    the   explanation 
that    Charlotte   Amalie  was    not  looking   her  very  best  the  night  the  Commercial  Clubs 
landed    because  some   American  warships  had  been  in  the  harbor  a  few  nights  before  and   500  jackies  had  been 
given  shore  leave  to  the  utter  demoralization  of  the  street  lighting  system. 

It  is  easy  to  become  acquainted  with  these  West  Indian  subjects  of  Denmark.  So  long  as  the  "  PRINZ 
JOACHIM"  remained  in  the  harbor  the  latchstring  of  Charlotte  Amalie  was  out  to  the  Commercial  Clubs.  Not 
until  the  warning  whistle  blew  and  the  members  carrying  their  bundles  and  bottles  started  for  the  wharf  did  the 
shopkeepers  begin  to  put  up  their  shutters  and  to  turn  the  keys  in  the  locks  of  the  massive  doors.  When  the 
launch  started  for  the  ship  with  the  last  boat  load,  the  population  was  still  on  the  wharf  looking  good-will  toward 
the  departing  "billionaires." 


Porto  Rico 


IN  a  gentle  shower,  all  pervading  mist  and  the  temperature  of  a-late-in- April  morning,  the  Commercial   Clubs 
landed   at   San  Juan,   Porto   Rico.     It  was  a  case  of  anchoring  out  in  the  harbor  and  going  ashore  in  the 
launches.     When   the   President   of   the   United   States   was   at   San  Juan   in   November  last   he   could   not 
embark  because  the   harbor   had   not   been   dredged   to   permit   the   movement   of   a   warship.     He  informed 
Congress  of  the  situation  and  said:   "I  do  not  think  this  creditable  to  us  as  a  nation." 

While  awaiting  the  rather  slow  method  of  getting  ashore  in  relays,  the  members  admired  the  bright  and 
varied  coloring  of  the  buildings,  public  and  private,  and  read  the  signs  above  the  roofs  of  enterprising 
merchants  —  the  color  scheme  being  a  reminiscence  of  the  Spanish  regime,  the  huge  letters  telling  all  who  sail 
of  the  completeness  of  American  occupation. 

A  zealous  committee,  representing  the  business  interests  of  the  city,  was  on  the  wharf  to  meet  the  first 
boat  load  of  visitors.  F.  del  Valle  Atiles,  the  mayor,  or  alcalde,  of  San  Juan,  greeted  Mr.  Laws,  chairman  of 
the  Joint  Committee  of  the  Clubs,  as  soon  as  he  stepped  from  the  boat,  with  a  well-worded  speech  of  welcome. 
Automobiles  and  carriages  were  waiting.  Xo  the  members  was  handed  a  card  informing  them  that  the  local 
committee  hoped  to  carry  out  the  following  rapid-fire  program  with  those  who  elected  to  pass  the  day  in  San 
Juan  and  its  suburbs: 

8:10  a.  m.     Drive  about  Marina   (the  wharves  and  warehouse  district).      Visit  Planing  Mill  of  Finlay   Brothers,    and  Waymouth 

Trading  Company. 

9:00  a.   m.     Call  on  his  Excellency,   Governor  Beekman  Winthrop. 
9:15  a.  m.     Visit  to  El  Moro  and  Casa  Blanca. 
10:00  a.   m.     Arrive  Spanish  Casino;   reception  until   11  a.   m. 
11:10  a.  m.     Drive  to  Union  Club. 
11:45  a.  m.     Luncheon  at  Union  Club. 

1:00  p.   m.     Visit  factory  of  Porto  Rican  American  Tobacco  Company. 
2:00  p.  m.     Take  Special  Train  for  Carolina,  visit  sugar  central  "Progreso." 
4:00  p.  m.     Take  train  for  Santurce.     Drive  to  Country  Club. 
5:00  p.  m.     Stop  at  Country  Club. 
5:30  p.  m.     Drive  to  Union  Club. 
6:00  p.  m.     Dinner  at  Union  Club.     Miramar. 
After  dinner  drive  to  steamer  landing. 
COME  AGAIN. 


The  day  in  San  Juan  was  strenuous.  It  was  no  fault  of  the  committee  of  business  men  that  every 
engagement  on  the  program  was  not  kept.  Tide  cut  no  figure,  but  time  did.  The  departure  of  the  steamer,  in 
order  to  get  away  from  the  harbor  before  daylight  ended,  shut  out  two  or  three  numbers  on  the  itinerary. 
The  members,  on  their  own  initiative,  undertook  lines  of  investigation  not  mentioned  in  the  program,  but  of 
individual  interest.  For  example,  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Chicago,  devoted  a  part  of  the  day  to  a  personal 
investigation  of  the  insular  police,  with  results  satisfactory  to  him.  Improving  upon  the  old  and  disliked  guardia 
civil  of  Spanish  times,  the  American  authority  has  developed  a  semi-military  police  force,  which  includes  both 
city  and  country  in  its  operations.  There  is  no  municipal  police.  The  jurisdiction  of  the  insular  force  is 
bounded  only  by  the  limits  of  the  island.  The  force  numbers  700  men.  With  the  exception  of  the  chief  and 
assistant  chief,  the  officers  and  men  are  native  Porto  Ricans.  Besides  the  insular  police,  which  is  under  the 
local  Porto  Rican  government,  the  Island  has  a  regiment  of  native  Porto  Rican  infantry.  The  army  post  in  the 
mountains  was  seen  by  those  of  the  party  who  made  the  overland  trip  from  San  Juan  to  Ponce,  and  its  well 
kept  appearance  was  commented  on  admiringly.  In  his  recent  message  to  Congress,  President  Roosevelt  spoke 
of  the  "excellent  character"  of  both  the  insular  police  and  the  Porto  Rican  regiment.  It  seemed  to  Mr. 
Carpenter  and  to  other  members  of  the  Clubs,  who  looked  into  that  subject,  that  Porto  Rico's  progress  toward 
the  maintenance  of  law  and  order  by  native  policing  has  been  a  long  step  toward  the  solution  of  a  difficult 
problem. 

Before  scattering  to  see  and  to  hear,  the  Clubs  called  at  the  Palace  and  were  received  by  Governor 
Beekman  Winthrop.  They  strolled  through  the  wide  corridors  and  spacious  apartments  with  the  wealth  of 
decoration,  statuary  and  paintings — reminders  of  the  days  of  the 

Spanish    Governors-General,    when    Porto    Rico   was   the      ^^tefl    ~£mfJ$  'iHN 
favorite  colonial  possession  of  Spain.  ^ 

American  occupation  has  meant 
little  change  in  the  fine  architecture 
and  historical  features  of  the 
Palace.  It  has  meant  the 
introduction  of  American  furniture 
and  American  sanitary  arrangements. 

After  the  handshaking  at  the 
Palace,  the  party  was  conducted  to 
the  Spanish  Club  —  the  Casino,  as 
it  is  better  known.  There 
followed  a  reception,  the  manner  TKC  Morro-s»n  jum,  p.  R. 


of  which  charmed  the  visitors.  The  president,  and  other  officers  of  the  Casino,  met  the  members  as  they 
reached  the  head  of  the  staircase.  Introductions  followed.  Upon  a  wide  gallery  a  table  was  spread  with 
refreshments.  The  president  of  the  Casino  spoke  in  Spanish,  his  words  being  interpreted.  Mr.  Goepper, 
President  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati,  replied  for  the  visitors,  expressing  appreciation  of  the  courtesies, 
and  admiration  for  evidences  of  Porto  Rico's  prosperity,  his  words  being  translated  into  Spanish  for  the  benefit 
of  those  not  understanding  English.  Mr.  Goepper  said : 

"  I  am  sure  that  I  am  expressing  the  sentiment  of  the  members  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  when  I  say  to  you  that  they 
greatly  appreciate  the  cordial  reception,  the  friendship  and  the  interest  shown  by  the  gentlemen,  the  citizens  of  San  Juan,  in  our  visit 
to  this  delightful  city. 

"To  many  of  us  it  is  the  first  opportunity  we  have  had  of  seeing  what  you  offer  here  —  not  only  in  architecture,  in  foliage,  in 
the  picturesqueness  of  the  city,  but  especially  in  the  progress  and  the  energy  and  the  commercial  developement,  which  is  in  the  nature 
of  a  surprise  to  many  of  us  from  the  North. 

"We  sincerely  wish  that  the  Island  may  continue  to  prosper,  and  that  your  prosperity  may  increase. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you  sincerely,  on  behalf  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  here  represented,  for  the  kind  attention  and  for  your 
manifestation  of  friendship  toward  us.  We  regret  that  we  are  compelled  to  make  our  visit  so  brief.  We  should  like  very  much  to 
have  been  permitted  to  remain  here  longer,  in  order  to  become  better  acquainted  with  your  industries  and  also  with  the  gentlemen  who 
have  been  so  kind  to  us  today. 

"I  ask  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  to  join  with  me  in  a  toast  to  the  City  of  San  Juan,  Island  of  Porto  Rico.  May 
it  continue  to  prosper,  and  may  happiness  and  peace  continue  to  reign  here." 

The  toast  was  received  with  enthusiasm. 

The  Casino  was  the  parting  of  ways  for  the  visitors  and  for  the  local  committeemen  who  had  undertaken 
to  guide  and  chaperon.  Those  who  were  to  remain  in  San  Juan,  or  who  were  to  take  short  trips  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  Island,  started  in  carriages  for  the  Union  Club,  in  the  suburbs,  to  lunch.  The  adventurous 
spirits  who  had  determined  to  make  the  overland  trip  of  130  kilometers  —  81  miles  —  took  the  conveyances  that 
had  been  provided.  Two  automobiles  of  ordinary  capacity  got  away  first  as  pilots  to  let  the  Ponce  people,  who 
had  made  elaborate  preparations  to  entertain,  know  that  the  others  in  the  party  were  coming.  In  these  smaller 
autos  were  Mr.  Russell  and  Mr.  Wright,  of  Boston ;  Mr.  MacFarland,  of  Chicago ;  Mr.  Wulsin,  Mr.  Warrington, 
Mr.  Worthington  and  Mr.  Langdon,  of  Cincinnati.  These  autos  left  before  eleven  o'clock.  About  the  same 
time  an  automobile  carry-all  was  loaded  to  the  end  step  with  nine  Boston  and  two  Chicago  members,  together 
with  the  secretary  of  the  San  Juan  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  chauffeur,  making  thirteen  in  all  in  an 
18-horse  power  machine.  These  gentlemen,  who  esteemed  themselves  fortunate,  as  compared  with  their  friends 
still  waiting  for  carriages,  were  Mr.  Bartlett,  Mr.  Burnett,  Mr.  Boit,  Mr.  Carter,  Mr.  Dennison,  Mr.  Dwight, 
Mr.  Mandell,  Mr.  Minot,  Mr.  Whitman,  of  Boston;  Mr.  Clow  and  Mr.  Noyes,  of  Chicago.  The  carry-all 
moved  off  majestically  and  rolled  out  of  San  Juan  over  the  military  road  at  encouraging  speed.  Later  in  the 
day  and  far  into  the  night  the  carry-all  became  better  known  as  "the  hearse" — but  that  is  a  long  and  not 

56 


altogether  merry  story.  For  an  hour  after  the  automobile  contingent  had  disappeared,  those  who  were  to  ride 
in  carriages  speculated  on  the  hour  that  would  bring  them  to  the  last  of  the  130  kilometers.  The  members 
who  drew  carriages  in  the  San  Juan-Ponce  lottery,  were  Mr.  Cowdery,  Mr.  Hill,  Mr.  Jones,  Mr.  Knox,  Mr. 
Nugent,  Mr.  Scott,  of  St.  Louis;  Mr.  Ault,  Mr.  Carew,  Mr.  Chatfield,  Mr.  Davis,  Mr.  Durrell,  Mr.  Geier, 
Mr.  Green,  Mr.  Laws,  Mr.  Lodge,  Mr.  Omwake,  Mr.  Rowe,  of  Cincinnati;  Mr.  Lawrence  and  Dr.  Warren, 
of  Boston.  Acquaintances  in  the  State  may  have  difficulty  in  persuading  themselves  of  the  fact  that  at  high 
noon  of  a  February  day  these  gentlemen  set  out  in  carriages  to  ride  81  miles. 

The  vehicle  was  the  typical  Porto  Rican  carriage,  built  strongly  on  the  general  plan  of  the  folding  top 
surrey  of  the  States,  but  with  a  screw  brake  and  with  easy  seats.  The  motive  power  at  first  sight  caused  some 
of  the  party  to  feel  doubtful.  Just  what  was  the  origin  of  the  wiry  little  ponies  of  the  Island  seems  to  be  not 
altogether  clear.  Present  results  have  come  about  by  evolution  and  adapatation  to  the  needs  of  the  service. 
When  these  ponies  are  at  pasture  in  the  grasses  of  the  Island  they  are  often  entirely  hidden  except  as  they 
chance  to  raise  their  heads.  But  two  of  them  will  whirl  along  the  heavy  two-seated  carriage  containing  three 
or  four  people,  with  astonishing  ease.  It  is  gallop  and  trot  and  trot  and  gallop,  up  mountain  and  down 
mountain,  with  an  occasional  five  minutes'  stop  to  breathe,  and  at  longer  intervals  a  walking  gait  up  the  steepest 
grades.  As  the  stops  to  breathe  are  always  in  front  of  a  roadhouse,  nobody  has  ever  been  able  to  tell  whether 
the  relief  is  for  the  little  ponies  or  for  the  thirsty  drivers.  For  a  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  kilometers  the 
ponies  scamper  along  and  then  pull  up  alongside  a  Porto  Rican  stable,  which  is  a  roof  on  poles — no  sides. 
The  harness  is  pulled  off,  fresh  ponies  are  put  in,  and  away  rolls  the  carriage.  With  five  teams  the  journey  of 
81  miles,  over  mountains  2400  feet  high,  is  a  matter  of  eleven  hours.  The  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs 
took  a  little  more  time  for  the  passage,  but  they  were  out  to  see  the  country  and  for  adventure.  After  such  a 
statement  of  fact  about  distance  and  altitude,,  something  about  the  wonderful  road,  which  makes  possible  and 
fascinating  this  journey,  may  seem  properly  prefaced. 

About  the  middle  of  the  last  century  the  Spanish  authority  in  Porto  Rico  undertook  the  construction  of  a 
military  road  from  the  north  to  the  south  side  of  the  Island,  connecting  the  two  principal  cities,  San  Juan  and 
Ponce.  Distance  as  the  crow  might  fly  is  thirty-five  miles.  In  the  engineering,  to  reduce  grades  to  the 
minimum,  the  road  was  laid  out  and  built  eighty-one  miles  long  between  the  two  cities.  Not  only  was  the 
road  graded  so  that  it  is  for  many  miles  no  steeper  than  the  tracks  of  some  mountain  railroads  in  the  States, 
but  it  was  built  of  material  that  endures  today  and  keeps  down  the  cost  of  maintenance.  The  black  rock  of 
the  mountain  sides  is  broken  into  about  the  size  of  macadam  in  the  States.  It  is  put  on  much  like  the 
method  of  constructing  telford  roadway ;  but  as  soon  as  Mayor  Wells,  of  St.  Louis,  saw  a  stretch  of  this  road, 
and  had  examined  it,  he  said,  "the  binder  is  what  does  it."  In  with  the  broken  black  rock,  the  roadbuilders 
of  Porto  Rico  put  limestone,  which  abounds  in  shells,  and  enough  of  the  stiff  clay  to  mix  well.  The  roller 


On  the  Military  Road  to   Ponce,  Porto  Rico. 


presses  this  composition  into  a  roadway,  which  is  almost  as  smooth 
as  asphalt,  and  more  enduring.  Hour  after  hour  the  travelers  were 
carried  over  this  road  of  Porto  Rico  without  sense  of  fatigue,  so 
perfect  is  the  paving.  As  stated,  the  road  was  built  in  the  middle  of 
The  period  of  construction  was  some  twelve  years, 
charged  with  want  of  thoroughness 
or  to  lack  of  knowledge  in  uses  of 
bridges  of  great  number,  on  this 


the  last  century. 
The  Spaniards  have  never  been 
when  it  comes  to  road-making, 
stone  and  mortar.  Culverts  and 


military    road,    are    stone-arched,    with    paved    roadways.       American 
authority    has    learned    a    lesson    in    road-making.       Not    only    is    this 
military    road,    from    San    Juan  to    Ponce,    well   maintained,    but  other 
roads    are    being    laid    out    and    constructed    to    connect    all    important 
centers    of    population    and    production.       Porto     Rico    now    has    four 
hundred  and    twenty-five    miles    of    these    graded    and    paved  roadways. 
The  Island    government    has    voted    a    loan    of  $1,000,000  to  continue 
the   road-building.      It    is    not    difficult    to    foresee    the    coming    of    the 
time    when    a    trip    to    the    Island    for    a    month    of    automobiling    will 
tempt  thousands    of    Americans    every  winter.     There   are   no  such  roads  in 
the  States    as    are    being    added    to    in    Porto    Rico.     As    yet    the    speed  limit  is 
not  troublesome  on  this  island.      The  rule  of   the  road  handed  down  by  custom 
gives  right  of    way    to    the    faster    vehicle.     When    the    Porto    Rican,    with    the 

ox-cart,  sees  a  carriage  or  automobile  approaching,  he  pilots  his  patient  beasts  to  the  edge  of  the  road  and 
stands  at  their  heads  with  his  goad  presented  until  the  road  is  clear  again.  The  smaller  autos,  which  carried 
three  and  four  of  the  visitors,  got  through  easily  from  San  Juan  to  Ponce  in  between  six  and  seven  hours. 
This  gave  time  to  observe  the  wonderful  scenery  and  to  take  the  numberless  curves  with  safety.  So  perfect  is 
the  roadway  that  automobile  trucks  from  France  are  used  for  hauling  between  San  Juan  and  the  plantations  by 
one  of  the  large  industrial  companies.  These  trucks  not  only  carry  their  own  loads,  but  draw  vans  after  them. 
The  trouble  with  the  automobile  carry-all,  which  became,  with  the  common  consent  of  the  Bostonians, 
"the  hearse,"  was  too  much  deliberation  of  movement.  One  of  the  two  cylinders,  with  which  the  machine 
was  equipped,  had  an  inconvenient  weakness  for  getting  overheated.  The  hearse  did  not  actually  give  out,  but 
it  had  a  way  of  slackening  speed  on  the  grades  which  prompted  the  travelers  to  think  they  could  get  on  faster 
by  walking.  The  pilot  autos  had  gone  on  before.  The  carriages  did  not  come  up  behind.  So  the  hearse 
moved  on  through  the  afternoon  and  evening  — 

58 


tote"   him 


With  Ponce  many  miles  away !  A  Typical  Home  in  the  interior  oi  Pono  Rico. 

At  Coamo  a  distress  signal  was  sent  to  Ponce.  But  when  the 
relief  automobiles  dashed  up  from  Ponce,  at  twenty  miles  an  hour, 
the  hearse  was  doing  better  than  at  any  previous  part  of  the  trip. 
With  rare  consideration  the  Bostonians  told  the  relief  expedition  to 
go  on  and  meet  the  carriages.  They  had  decided  to  "sit  tight"  in 
the  hearse.  The  autos  passed  on.  Almost  before  another  kilometer 
had  been  covered  the  hearse  began  to  deliberate  again.  "It  was 
almost  as  bad  going  down  hill  as  up,"  was  Mr.  Dwight's  description. 
The  uncertainties  continued  until  the  electric  lights  of  Ponce  began 
to  rival  the  Southern  Cross  in  the  heavens,  and  far  beyond  the  city 
the  Caribbean  shimmered  in  the  moonlight.  About  midnight  the 
Bostonians  were  "all  in" — but  almost  "after  the  ball"  given  by 
Ponce  in  honor  of  the  Clubs,  Mr.  Boit,  of  Boston,  had  quit  the 

hearse  in  disgust  and  had    started    to    walk    into    Ponce,    but,    after    he    had  hired  a  Porto  Rican  to 
through  one  ford,  he  rejoined  the  party  in  the  carry-all. 

Whether  made  by  automobile  or  pony  carriage,  the  journey  from  San  Juan  to  Ponce  is  an  experience  to 
be  remembered  for  a  lifetime.  No  member  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  regretted  the  trip.  The  untoward  sank 
into  insignificance,  or  became  a  joke,  when  the  delightful  experiences  were  recalled.  In  the  succession  of 
wonderfully  fascinating  mountain  scenes,  the  kilometer  stone  posts  went  by  too  rapidly.  Men  who  have  traveled 
extensively  re-echoed  the  comment  of  Henry  C.  Scott,  of  St.  Louis,  when  near  the  end  of  the  journey  he 
pronounced  this  "the  greatest  natural  scenery,  in  the  world."  The  guide-books  call  Porto  Rico  the 
"  Switzerland  of  America."  But  Mr.  Ault,  of  Cincinnati,  and  other  club  members  who  have  done  Switzerland, 
pointed  out  that  while  Porto  Rico  has  the  mountainous  charm  which  is  Switzerland's,  Porto  Rico  has  the 
luxurious  vegetation,  the  glorious  riot  of  brilliant  colors,  which  Switzerland  has  not.  As  he  looked  across  a 
wooded  ravine,  which  was  almost  a  chasm,  and  saw  a  perfect  cone-shaped  peak  rise,  clothed  in  deep  green,  to  a 
crest  covered  with  a  cluster  of  trees,  which  were  a  mass  of  scarlet  bloom,  Mr.  Cowdery,  of  St.  Louis,  voiced 
the  longing  which  others  felt  for  a  botanist  to  talk  intelligently  of  these  objects  of  art  in  nature,  new  to 
northern  eyes.  Many  fruits  grow  wild  in  Porto  Rico.  Along  the  roadside,  not  infrequently,  were  orange  trees, 
native  seedlings,  bearing  a  small,  sweet,  jucy  orange. 

At  a  country  cafe,  which  was  little  more  than  a  couple  of  small  rooms,  the  travelers  by  the  ponies  and 
carriage  line  stopped  to  drink  such  coffee  as  would  make  the  fortune  of  a  caterer  in  the  States.  To  provide 
against  contingencies,  the  party  had  carried  lunches  from  the  ship,  but  when  Mr.  Green  and  Mr.  Durrell,  of 


Cincinnati,  stopped  at  the  hotel  of  one  of  the  towns  on  the  road,  to  supplement  the  bread  and  meat  from  the 
ship,  they  were  served  with  strawberries.  Previous  to  the  occupation  by  the  Americans  there  was  almost  no 
cultivation  of  the  orange  in  Porto  Rico.  Now  the  orchards  in  cultivation  cover  7,000  acres,  with  rapid  increase 
in  the  planting  of  trees  and  every  indication  that  orange  shipments  will  soon  be  considerable. 

Of  the  coming  of  the  Porto  Rico  cigar  the  members  of  the  clubs  received  a  strong  impression.  After  the 
first  range  of  mountains  was  climbed  by  the  ponies  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Piedras  was  traversed  for  several 
kilometers.  The  military  road  was  bordered  by  a  succession  of  tobacco  plantations.  Much  new  ground  was 
being  prepared.  Curing  barns  dotted  the  fields.  New  barns  were  in  course  of  construction,  The  company 
offices,  warehouses,  factories,  and  stables  were  grouped  in  the  centers  of  production.  Five  years  ago  the  tobacco 
product  of  Porto  Rico  was  $700,000.  Last  year  it  was  more  than  five  times  that  amount.  The  opening  of 
new  plantations,  the  buildings,  the  buying  of  tobacco  land — these  foreshadow  great  development  of  this  industry. 

As  notable  as  the  increase  in  acreage  of  tobacco  is  the  improvement  accomplished  in  culture.  As  the 
result  of  a  discovery,  and  of  two  or  three  years  of  careful  seed  selection,  tobacco  raised  in  Porto  Rico  last  year 
yielded  a  crop  worth  $5,000  an  acre.  There  wasn't  much  of  the  particular  kind  —  about  four  acres — but  what 
was  gathered  was  worth  $2.50  a  pound.  The  seed  from  which  this  very  choice  tobacco  was  produced,  was 
valued  at  $100  an  ounce.  When  Mr.  Walker  Hill,  of  St.  Louis,  was  told  this  marvelous  tale  of  Porto  Rico 
tobacco,  he  began  to  hum  a  little  song,  which  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club,  of  Boston,  had  worked  off 

on    him  a  short  time  before,  running — 

It  seems  to  me,  it  seems  to  me, 
It  seems  to  me  just  like  a  lie. 
It  may  be  so,  I  do  not  know, 
But  it  sounds  just  like  a  lie. 

However,  Mr.  Daniel  Catlin,  of  St.  Louis,  who  knows  as  much 
about  tobacco  as  Mr.  Hill  does  about  banking — both  being  authorities 
in  their  respective  lines,  —  said  the  story  was  not  improbable. 
The  explanation  of  the  high  priced  tobacco  is  interesting. 
Three  or  four  years  ago,  on  one  of  these  plantations  where 
special  attention  was  being  given  to  the  seed  selection  and 
methods  of  culture,  there  appeared  in  the  field  a  single  stalk, 
which  towered  two  feet  above  its  neighbors.  The  leaves  were 
of  unusual  quality.  From  the  head  of  this  stalk,  which  was 
between  four  and  five  feet  high,  was  gathered  carefully  all  of 
the  seed.  This  seed  was  planted  in  a  field  by  itself  and  given 
every  possible  attention  to  encourage  its  development.  It  repaid 

60 


A  Group  of  Cock  Fighters  in  Porto  Rico,  Rounded  up  by  Mr. 

cieen  and  Mr.  Durreii. 


the  attention  with  more  of  the  tobacco  of  extraordinary  height  and  quality.  Again  the  seed  was  saved  and 
again  the  plant  was  given  the  best  of  opportunities.  In  this  way  has  been  obtained  a  crop  of  between  four 
and  five  acres  worth  $5,000  an  acre.  The  seed  is  now  of  sufficient  quantity  to  rapidly  increase  the  acreage. 
Other  planters  are  eager  for  it,  and  the  value  put  upon  the  limited  supply  is  $100  an  ounce.  One  of  these 
new  tobacco  companies,  of  Porto  Rico,  has,  since  it  began,  increased  its  capital  from  $30,000  to  $240,000. 
Last  year  the  company  paid  20%  dividends  on  its  capital.  Mr.  Catlin  and  Mr.  Dozier,  of  St.  Louis,  gave  a 
couple  of  hours  of  the  stay  in  San  Juan  to  an  examination  of  a  tobacco  factory.  They  observed  the  extreme 
care  taken  in  the  assortment  of  cigars  for  different  grades.  The  principal  test  was  one  of  color.  All  the  world 
seemingly  wishes  a  light  colored  cigar.  In  the  mountains  the  travelers  saw  hundreds  of  acres  of  tobacco  plants 
covered  with  cheese  cloth  on  poles,  forming  a  close  tent.  Mile  after  mile  this  strange  spectacle  of  cloth-covered 
tobacco  fields  was  observed.  Before  the  American  occupation,  such  treatment  of  the  growing  tobacco  was 
almost  unknown  in  Porto  Rico.  This  additional  care  of  the  crop  costs  $500  an  acre.  As  each  year  sees  an 
increasing  acreage  put  under  cheese  cloth  to  mature,  the  results  must  be  satisfactory  to  the  planters.  The 
explanation  of  the  tent  method  is  that  the  sun's  rays  are  filtered,  and  that  the  maturing  is  slower  and  attended 
with  better — that  is  to  say — lighter  coloring  of  the  leaf.  Some  of  the  growers  say  the  cheese  cloth  keeps  off 
dust,  particles  of  sand  and  insects  which  would  otherwise  do  damage  to  the  plants.  Mr.  Catlin,  of  St.  Louis, 
who  was  the  tobacco  expert  of  the  party,  thought  there  might  be  a  good  deal  in  the  philosophy  of  the  effect  of 
the  covering  on  the  ripening  and  coloring  of  the  leaf. 

What  they  saw  of  educational  facilities  on  the  trip  from  San  Juan  to  Ponce  surprised  and  and  pleased  the 
members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs.  At  Rio  Piedras,  at 
Caguas,  at  Cayey,  at  Aibonito,  at  Coamo,  at  Juana  Diaz — 
towns  on  the  military  road, — the  visitors  saw. school  houses, 
the  substantial  and  well  kept  appearance  of  which  excited 
comment.  Some  of  the  buildings  were  of  masonry 
construction,  with  handsome  iron  fences  and  neat  yards. 
Alongside  the  road,  at  frequent  intervals,  were  the  country 
school  houses,  usually  of  frame,  but  painted  and  clean 
looking.  But  the  appearance  and  manners  of  the  children 
were  even  more  gratifying  to  the  visitors.  Cleanliness  seems 
to  have  been  the  first  lesson  taught,  and  to  have  been  well 
learned.  The  members  of  the  clubs  saw  many  barefooted 
children  about  the  homes  of  the  working  people.  They  did 
not  see  a  barefooted  child  at  school,  or  going  to  school,  or 


Tobacco  Crowing   Under   Cheete    Cloth,    as   Sera   from  the  Military  Road, 
Porto    Rico. 


61 


coming  from  school.  They  saw  thousands  of  children  at  school,  and  going  to  and  coming  from  school.  All  of 
them  wore  shoes  and  stockings,  and  clean  clothes.  The  Porto  Rican  is  born  with  a  degree  of  dignity,  upon 
which  American  education  has  built  a  most  promising  outlook  for  the  coming  generation. 

The  Commercial  Clubs,  by  turns,  furnished  the  presiding  officer  of  the  party.  It  fell  to  President 
Whitelaw,  of  the  St.  Louis  Club,  to  be  the  official  head  of  the  party  while  on  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico. 
President  Whitelaw  gave  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  to  a  study  of  the  educational  system  and  its  results, 
talking  at  length  with  Governor  Winthrop,  and  other  officials.  The  sum  of  $535,000  has  been  expended  in 
building  new  schoolhouses  since  1901.  There  are  in  operation  between  1,100  and  1,200  schools,  attended  by 
52,000  children.  High  schools,  manual  training  schools,  and  an  agricultural  school  supplement  the  common 
schools.  A  normal  school  is  turning  out  native  teachers.  Porto  Rico,  it  should  be  remembered,  has  a 
population  only  a  little  in  excess  of  Boston  or  St.  Louis. 

To    a   long   day,    full    of    the    picturesque,    the    fascinating,    the    surprising,    a 
reception    at    Ponce    was    the    fitting    and    culminating    finale.     Mr. 
MacFarland,    of    Chicago,  who    was   one    of    the    first    to  get  through  to 
Ponce,  characterized    the    affair    as    in    most   excellent  taste.     He 
described,  with  enthusiasm,    the    beautiful    ladies,   the  decorations 
of  the  ballroom,    the    music    of    the    concert    which  preceded  the 
reception.     At  nine  o'clock  the  committee   called  at  the  principal 
hotel  in  Ponce  and  escorted  all  of   the  visitors,  who  had  arrived, 
up  to  that  hour,  to  the  theatre,    which  belongs  to  the  Club  and 
adjoins  the  Casino.     The    committee    was  composed  of  Simon 
Moret,    the    mayor;    Jose    Lacot,    president    of    the    Casino; 
Carlos    Armstrong,   president    of    the    Board    of    Trade;  H.  A. 
Besosa,  Xavier  Mariani,  Carlos  Cabrera,  Z.  Cintron,  G.  Carlada. 
Accompanied  by  this  committee,  Mr.  Wulsin,  Mr.  Warrington, 
Mr.  Worthington    and    Mr.    Langdon,    of    Cincinnati;    Mr. 
MacFarland,    of    Chicago;    Mr.    Russell    and    Mr.    Wright,  of 
Boston,  entered  the  handsome  theatre  to  find  1500  ladies  and 
gentlemen    assembled    to    do    honor    to    the    guests    of    Ponce. 
The  seven  fortunate  gentlemen    agree    that   when  they  looked 
around  upon  the  forty    boxes    filled    with    the    ladies  of  Ponce 
and  vicinity,  they    received    an    impression    of    the    beauty   and 
intelligence  and  fine  taste  of    the    ladies  of  Porto  Rico,  which 


At  a  Street  Corner  in  Ponce. 


62 


will  not  soon  fade  from  memory.  The  reception  of  the  visitors  by  the  audience  was  most  pleasing.  The 
concert,  which  gave  the  party  an  idea  of  the  musical  culture  of  the  Island,  consisted  of  selections  from  the  soft, 
gentle  music,  popular  with  all  of  Latin  blood.  After  the  concert  was  given  a  pantomime  by  native  talent.  The 
visitors  were  escorted  to  the  ballroom  of  the  Club  and  presented  to  the  ladies.  Then  followed  refreshments 
delicious  to  the  visitors.  The  dancing  was  begun  and  the  guests  were  given  their  choice  of  partners.  To  add 
to  the  pleasure,  it  was  discovered  that  many  of  the  Porto  Rican  ladies  spoke  the  language  of  the  country  of 
their  recent  adoption.  As  the  night  wore  on,  the  members  traveling  by  carnages  and  by  the  carry-all  reached 
Ponce  and  were  conducted  to  the  ballroom  to  be  received  and  entertained.  Said  Mr.  MacFarland:  "It  was 
a  social  entertainment  of  the  highest  class.  It  was  as  fine  as  you  will  see  anywhere  in  the  States.  It  was 
remarkably  well  planned  for  such  a  double  entertainment,  and  was  carried  through  perfectly." 
The  invitation  and  progam  were  highly  prized  as  souvenirs  of  the  Porto  Rico  visit: 

CASINO  DE  PONCE.  PROCRAMA  DEL  FESTIVAL  ARTISTICO 

PRIMERA  PARTE 

La  Directiva  de  este  Centra  ha  acordado  celebrar,  en  obsequio  1-  "  Feria,"  Serie  de  Orquesta Lacome. 

a   los   miembros   de   los  Clubs  comerciales  de  Boston,   Chicago,  (?)  Sou» '<•  Balcon. 

Cincinnati   y   San  Luis,  el   25  del   actual,   un   Festival   Artistico 

dirigido  por  el  reputado  Profesor  2.  "Tosca,"  cantada  por  la  Srta Amalia  Paoli,  Puccini. 

3.  "Arlequinade   Pizzicato"    [orquesta] L.  Ganne. 

DON  FRANCISCO  CORTES  4    „  Roya,e  Czarda9,, ..          MicbieU. 

Lo  que  me  complazco  en  participar  a  Vd.  como  socio  de  dicho  5.  "Colombe" Ch.  Gounod. 

Centra.  6.  "  Propos  Galants " Sudessi. 

Ponce,  Febrera  23  de  1907.  7-  "  Une  Fete  a  Cuba  "  •  •  F'  P'  Cotte8' 

JOSE  LACOT,  PraUtmU.  SECUNDA   PARTE 

NUIT  DE   NOEL 

Terminado  dicho  acto,  en  el  Teatro,   se  abriran   los  Salones  del  Mimo-Drama  en  un  acto 

Casino,    y   «e   efectuara    una    recepcion    en    honor   de   dichos  de  F.  P.  Cortes  y  Argumento  de  Monsieur  Berteyle 

senores.  con  el  reparto  anterior. 

Ponce  is  in  the  midst  of  the  great  sugar  plantations  of  the  Island.  These  plantations  form  the  fringe  of 
the  beautiful  mountain  region  of  the  interior.  They  are  found  near  the  coast,  back  of  San  Juan,  and  almost 
everywhere  in  the  low  country.  Last  year  some  of  the  sugar  planters  of  Porto  Rico  cleared  from  the  crop 
thirty  per  cent  on  their  investments.  Sugar  leads  in  value  of  the  crops  of  the  Island.  It  is  a  growing  industry- 
New  centrals,  as  the  manufacturing  plants  are  called,  are  being  built.  New  plantations  are  being  opened.  But 
the  most  promising  thing  about  the  industry  is  the  improvement  in  methods.  The  south  part  of  the  Island  is 
utilizing  irrigation  on  an  elaborate  scale  to  insure  moisture  at  the  right  time.  Wells,  driven  to  a  depth  of  fifty 
feet,  yield  a  seemingly  inexhaustible  supply  of  water.  Some  steam  plowing  is  done.  The  mills  are  putting  in 
the  best  and  latest  mechanical  appliances. 

63 


I 


Landine  Coconuts,  Pone,,  P.  R.  When     it     js     stated     that    land     jn    parts     of     the     Island     that     sold 

before  the  American  occupation  for  five  dollars  an  acre,  now  readily 
commands  fifty  dollars  an  acre,  an  impression  of  Porto  Rican 
prosperity  under  the  new  regime  is  given. 

Conversing  about  the  development  commercially  Governor 
Winthrop  said  to  Mr.  Batcheller  that  the  total  trade  between  the 
United  States  and  Porto  Rico  had  increased  from  $3,000,000  a  year 
before  American  annexation  in  1899  to  $45,000,000  in  1906. 

"In  the  case  of  Porto  Rico,"  commented  Mr.  Batcheller,  "trade 
did  follow  the  flag." 

Many  interesting  individual  experiences  the  members  of  the 
Clubs  enjoyed  in  Porto  Rico.  Mr.  Elihu  Thomson  and  Mr.  Batcheller  of 
Boston,  immediately  after  the  reception  at  the  Governor's  Palace  in  the  morning, 
took  their  cameras,  got  into  a  carriage  and  spent  a  charming  day  in  San  Juan 
and  vicinity.  Mr.  Batcheller  from  previous  experience  was  able  to  do  some  effective  guiding.  Cristobal  fort 
was  visited.  El  Morro,  with  its  dungeons  and  ancient  fortifications,  was  done  under  the  courteous  guidance  of 
Captain  Gambell  of  the  U.  S.  Army.  Cristobal  Colon  Plaza,  the  Cathedral,  Casa  Blanca  were  viewed,  and 
many  picturesque  bits  of  San  Juan  life  were  caught  by  the  cameras.  Then  Mr.  Thomson  and  Mr.  Batcheller 
went  to  lunch  at  the  Union  Club  in  the  suburbs.  As  they  sat  at  the  table  a  cheery  "Hullo  there"  in  genuine 
Bostonian  accent  greeted  them.  They  looked  up  to  meet  the  smiling  look  of  Arthur  Estabrook  of  Estabrook 
&  Co.,  bankers,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Estabrook  has  for  several  years  taken  a  deep  personal  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  Porto  Rico.  He  has  done  a  great  deal  to  develop  the  industries  and  the  commercial  prosperity  of  the  Island. 
Making  Mr.  Thomson,  Mr.  Batcheller,  Mr.  Bremer  and  Mr.  Rice  his  guests  for  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
Mr.  Estabrook  got  out  a  six-cylinder  auto  and  gave  them  a  twenty  mile  ride  to  the  tobacco  country  on  the 
military  road. 

Mr.  Batcheller  and  Mr.  Thomson  had  occasion  to  congratulate  themselves  on  the  marvelous  good  fortune 
which  attended  them.  Early  in  the  day  they  were  seeking  the  entrance  to  the  Castle  of  San  Cristobal  and 
inquired  the  way  of  a  lady  who  was  passing.  The  answer  was  given.  "But",  said  the  lady,  "have  you  a  pass 
to  get  in?"  The  Bostonians  looked  at  each  other  in  dismay.  "Oh  well"  said  the  lady,  "perhaps  my  pass 
will  take  all  of  us  in."  And  it  did.  An  hour  or  two  later  Mr.  Batcheller  and  Mr.  Thomson  asked  a  stranger 
on  the  street  how  they  could  reach  Morro  Castle.  "You  will  need  a  pass,"  said  the  stranger,  after  giving  the 
street  directions.  "  Perhaps  I  can  help  you  out."  And  thereupon  the  unknown  wrote  a  pass  which  secured  the 
Bostonians  admission  to  the  citadel. 


Many  of  the  party  renewed  pleasant  acquaintances  with  Major  Cecil  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  who  was  in 
St.  Louis  during  the  World's  Fair. 

Mr.  Swift,  of  Chicago,  found  acquaintances  awaiting  him  on  the  San  Juan  wharf  and  was  whissed  away. 
Mr.  Chalmers,  Mr.  McCormick  and  Mr.  Farwell,  of  Chicago,  were  among  those  whom  Chairman  Turner,  of 
the  San  Juan  reception  committee,  escorted  about  the  city  and  to  the  Union  Club.  It  was  something  of  a 
whirlwind  of  hospitality  that  the  members  of  the  Clubs  encountered  in  San  Juan.  At  one  stopping  place  for 
refreshments  it  occurred  to  Mr.  Chalmers  that  the  entertainment  called  for  formal  acknowledgment.  He  asked 
for  order  and  was  about  to  introduce  Mr.  David  R.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  to  return  thanks  when  he  saw  that 
the  reception  committee  was  already  leading  the  way  out  for  the  next  place  on  the  program. 

Mr.  Francis,  Mr.  Carleton,  Mr.  Knapp,  Mr.  George  M.  Wright,  Mayor  Wells,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
Mr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Clark,  of  Chicago,  were  taken  in  charge  by  Laurence  A.  Grahame,  who  was  Secretary  to 
the  National  Commission  at  the  World's  Fair  in  St.  Louis,  and  who  is  now  Commissioner  of  the  Interior  of 
Porto  Rico.  In  two  automobiles  the  gentlemen  were  conveyed  to  the  summer  palace  some  distance  out  of  San 
Juan.  The  palace  was  built  and  the  grounds  beautified  for  the  Spanish  Governors-General  of  the  Island. 

Mr.  Crawford  and  Mr.  Bixby,  of  St.  Louis,  and  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Cincinnati,  were  handsomely  entertained 
by  the  Behn  Brothers  at  their  home.  One  of  the  most  unique  experiences  was  that  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Cowdery 
and  Mr.  Hill,  of  St.  Louis.  About  ten  o'clock  at  night  these  gentlemen  were  riding  along  the  military  road, 
enjoying  moonlight  views  of  mountain  scenery,  thirty  kilometers  from  Ponce.  It  came  to  them  by  chance  that 
Mr.  A.  M.  Lyons,  of  San  Juan,  representing  the  Government  in  the  conduct  of  the  ,  party  across 
the  Island,  would  have  to  leave  the  main  road  a  little  beyond  Coamo  and  drive  to  C  o  a  m  o 

Springs    to    explain    why    shortness    of    time    did    not    permit    the    party    to    stop    at  the  hotel  and 

take  a  late  dinner  there  as  had  been  arranged.'  When   Mr.  Lyons  turned  off  the  main  road,     Mr. 

Hill  and  Mr.  Cowdery  with  their  carriage  followed.    Mr.  Lyons  stopped: 
"You  gentlemen  understand  this  is  not  the  road  to  Ponce?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  we  are  going  to  the  hotel  to  see  the  springs  and  to  eat 
that  dinner  if  it  takes  all  night,"  replied  Mr.  Hill. 

The  two  carriages  proceeded  to  what  was  in  the  days  of  the 
Spanish  sovereignty  the  Monte  Carlo  of  the  Island,  but  which  under 
the  American  occupation  of  the  Island  is  a  health  resort  with  fame 
rapidly  extending.  The  party  drove  into  the  beautiful  tropical  park 
surrounding  the  hotel.  One  glance  told  them  that  they  had  found 
something  that  discounted  sleep.  For  half  an  hour  the  visitors  strolled 
about  the  grounds.  They  went  down  the  long  covered  passage  and 

65 


Colunbui  Slilur  ind  Ciule  of  Sin  Crluobil. 
SID  Juan,  Porto  Rico. 


many   stone    steps  to   the   bath-rooms    with  their   old  fashioned    marble    Cowtot « *•  «Uta»»  twi  UFono W«   They  keep  the  road 

lined  tubs  almost  as  large  as  plunge  pools.    They  drank  of  the  delicious 

hot  water  with  not  unpleasant  traces  of  mineral  qualities.     They  went 

to  the  spacious  dining-room  and  were  served  over  spotless  linen   with 

a   dinner  which   required  an    hour    to   discuss.     It    was  a    meal  of   the 

most    satisfying   kind    as    to    food,    cooking  and    service.     The   visitors 

were    quite    prepared    to    believe    what    Mr.    Lyons    told    them,    that 

nothing  better  was    to  be    had  in  any    Porto  Rico    hotel.     The    Porto 

Rican    dukes    and    the    Porto    Rican    fruits    in    variety    completed    the 

dinner    which    Mr.    Hill    and    Mr.    Cowdery    insisted    upon    calling    a 

banquet. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  stay  at  Coamo  Springs  the  gentlemen 
were  disposed  to  make  light  of  the  suggestion  of  sleep  that  night.  The 
ponies  trotted  into  Ponce  at  3:30  a.  m.  Mr.  Lyons  conducted  Mr.  Hill 
and  Mr.  Cowdery  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  George  H.  Buckley,  who 
responded  to  the  call  bell.  In  five  minutes  the  St.  Louisans  were  in  bed 
dreaming  of  Coamo.  The  stories  they  told  next  day  of  that  midnight  experience 
in  the  mountains  of  Porto  Rico  were  almost  too  marvelous  for  acceptance,  and  were  only  eclipsed  by  the 
picturesque  accounts  given  by  Messrs.  Green  and  Durrell,  of  Cincinnati.  The  latter  gentlemen  set  out  from 
San  Juan  with  a  driver  who  knew  no  English,  and  with  the  following  to  guide  them: 

Rio  Piedras 

Caguas 

Cayey  (Road  to  Guayama) 

Plantations  of  the  P.   A.  Tobacco  Co. 

Aibonito 

Coamo 

Road  to  Coamo  Springs 


Kil. 
Kil. 
Kil. 
Kil. 
Kil. 
Kil. 
Kil. 


In  the  Mountains  of  Porto  Rico.     View  from  the  military  road. 


12 

36 

60 

72 

81 
102 
103 

Kil.  118    Juana  Diaz 
Kil.  130     Ponce 
Kil.  135     Ponce  Playa 

A  lame    pony    put   Mr.   Green    and    Mr.   Durrell    out   of    the 
running,    their    carriage    dropping    back    behind    the    others. 
Thereafter    Cincinnati    brought    up    the    rear    in    the   eighty-one    miles 
ride.      Mr.    Green    recalled    a    few    Spanish    words    from    the    bright 

66 


lexicon  of  his  youth.  At  Caguas  the  carriage  was  stopped  and  a  lesiurely  dinner  was  taken.  At  Cayey 
Mr.  Green  and  Mr.  Durrell  had  given  up  all  hopes  of  overtaking  the  others.  At  Aibonito  they  were  reasonably 
certain  that  it  was  useless  to  think  of  reaching  Ponce  before  morning.  Mr.  Green,  after  several  hours'  practice, 
had  established  a  code  of  communication  with  the  driver.  When  the  fork  of  the  road  was  reached  at  mid-night, 
he  gave  the  order  to  go  to  Coamo  Springs.  Just  as  Mr.  Hill  and  Mr.  Cowdery,  of  St.  Louis,  drove  out  of  the 
Coamo  Springs  Park  after  their  Lucullian  feast,  Mr.  Green  and  Mr.  Durrell  arrived.  The  Cincinnati  gentlemen 
visited  the  Hot  Springs  and  bathed  in  the  old  Spanish  marble  lined  tubs.  They  found  an  alarm  clock  and  set 
it  with  much  care  for  four  a.  m.  Then  they  climbed  into  the  canopied,  daintily  curtained  beds  and  slept 
blissfully.  At  four  o'clock  the  alarm  sounded.  A  Porto  Rican  breakfast  was  on  the  table.  In  the  early  morning 
Mr.  Green  and  Mr.  Durrell  rode  down  the  mountain,  the  rested  ponies  going  at  a  gallop.  Fresh  as  daisies  they 
drove  up  to  the  hotel  just  as  Mr.  Laws  was  marshaling  his  overland  party  to  go  aboard  the 
"PRINZ  JOACHIM". 

Those  who  had  circumnavigated  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico  reached  Ponce  Playa  in  time 
for  an  hour's  visit  ashore.  When  the  steam  launch  sounded  the  return  whistle 
they  came  back  from  the  wonderful  fruit  market  bringing  cocoanuts  and  all 
manner  of  tropical  fruits. 

Very  tired,  but  thoroughly  pleased  with  their  day  and  their  night,  the 
members  of  the  Clubs  sailed  away  from  Ponce.  By  wireless  they  sent  back 
this  message  of  appreciation: 

S.  S.  "PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  Feby.  26,  1907. 
Laurence  A.  Grahame, 

(VmiinissicmiT  Interior, 

San  Juan,  Porto  Rico. 

To  the  officials,  business  organizations  and  social  Clubs  of  San  Juan 
and  Ponce,  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati 
and  St.  I.diii-  send  this  expression. 

The  twenty -four  hours  passed  upon  your  Island  have  given  us 
impressions  of  Porto  Rico  which  prompt  us  to  say  "the  half  was  not 
told  us."  In  groups  we  have  seen  your  cities  and  harbors.  We  have 
traversed  roads  which  are  an  object  lesson  to  our  whole  country.  We 
have  admired  your  school  system.  We  have  observed  your  efficient 
insular  police.  We  have  inspected  your  thriving  industries.  Your 
hospitable  shores  are  fading  as  we  say  to  you  by  wireless  we  are 
„  proud  Porto  Rico  is  part  of  the  United  States. 

iMMUf  IM      PlINZ  JOACHIM".       Vlrmbtri  reluming  lo  the 

•hip  oH  Ponce.  V    R  JOINT  COMMITTEE  OF  COMMERCIAL  CLUBS. 


67 


The  seven  wise  men  who  had  taken  automobiles,  and  had  reached  Ponce  in  abundant  season  for  the  fete 
at  the  Casino,  felt  prompted  to  do  something  special,  by  way  of  acknowledgment  of  the  courtesies  shown  them. 
At  their  instance,  Mr.  Wulsin  sent  the  following: 

S.  S.  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  Feb.  26,  1907. 
Hon.  Simon  Moret, 

Alcalde,  Ponce,  Porto  Rico. 

Members    Commercial    Clubs    Boston,    Chicago,     St.     Louis,     Cincinnati,     who     enjoyed 
hospitality  citizens  of  Ponce,   ask  you  to  again  express  to  all   their   high  appreciation  and  thanks. 

LUCIEN  WULSIN. 


LAS   CASCADAS. 
Near  Northern  end  of  the  Cut.     Shops  and  power  plant,  storage  elevator,  railroad  yard,  family  and  bachelor  quarters,  men's  hall. 


68 


THE  CHAIRMEN  OF  THE  GROUPS 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Standing  —  Robert  A.  Boit,   John   V.    Farwell,   Jr.,    Lawrence   Maxwell,  Jr.     Sitting  —  Robert  M.  Burnett, 

Elihu  Thomson,  Lucien  Wulsin,  J.  G.  Schmidlapp,  Robert  Moore. 


Systematic  Observation 

BEFORE  the  departure  from  Charleston,  Lucien  Wulsin,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements 
for  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati,  obtained  from  Washington  a  number  of  maps,  official  reports 
and  addresses  of  recent  dates  upon  the  Panama  Canal.  The  wisdom  of  this  provision  was  seen  in  the 
demand  for  the  latest  official  information  on  the  Canal  which  developed  among  the  members  before 
the  steamer  was  three  days  out  from  Charleston.  Mr.  Wulsin  had  also  thoughtfully  corresponded  with  officials  at 
Washington,  notably  Mr.  Shonts,  seeking  to  outline,  tentatively  at  least,  a  program  to  make  the  visit  to  the 
Canal  Zone  as  effective  as  possible  within  the  limits  of  the  time  allowed.  In  this  correspondence  it  had  been 
made  clear  that  the  members  of  the  Clubs  would  pay  all  of  their  expenses  while  on  the  Isthmus,  but  would 
appreciate  help  in  making  their  observations  of  conditions  and  progress  comprehensive  and  thorough. 

Mr.  Shonts  had  sent  to  Mr.  Wulsin  the  following  suggestions  for  a  program,  forwarded  by  Chief  Engineer 
Stevens: 

"I  would  suggest  that  on  their  arrival  in  Colon  early  in  the  morning  they  can  be  taken  to  Panama  on  a  special  train, 
accompanied  by  some  of  our  officials  who  will  explain  all  points  of  interest  and  give  them  an  idea  of  the  whole  lay-out  en  route. 

"Then,  after  luncheon  at  the  Tivoli,  they  can  be  shown  around  lover  Ancon  and  Panama,  with  possibly  a  trip  around  the 
harbor  and  islands  on  the  '  BOLIVAR  '  in  the  afternoon. 

"Making  an  early  start  the  next  day  by  special  train,  take  them  through  the  Cut  and  over  the  Panama  Railroad,  stopping 
at  or  visiting  all  points  of  interest,  including  the  lock  sites,  big  cuts,  sites  of  the  dams,  railroad  terminals  at  Cristobal,  and  other 
points  of  interest;  and  I  believe  we  can  arrange  to  give  them  luncheon  at  one  of  our  eating-houses  on  that  day. 

"The  program  of  the  first  day,  of  course,  would  include  visiting  La  Boca  and  covering  explanation  of  dam  and  lock  sites  at 
that  point." 

The  day  after  the  departure  from  Charleston  the  Joint  Committee  took  up  the  matter  of  the  program 
to  be  followed  on  the  Isthmus.  Upon  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Lucien  Wulsin,  a  Committee  on  "Observation  of 
the  Canal"  was  named  to  prepare  the  program  and  to  report  it  to  a  general  meeting  of  members  of  the  Clubs. 
This  Committee  was  composed  of  Lucien  Wulsin,  Chairman,  of  Cincinnati,  and  one  member  of  each  Club  — 
Elihu  Thomson,  of  Boston,  Cyrus  H.  McCormick,  of  Chicago,  Lawrence  Maxwell,  Jr.,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Robert 
Moore,  of  St.  Louis.  The  surgeon,  Dr.  Henry  S.  Warren,  of  Boston,  and  the  press  representative,  Walter  B. 
Stevens,  of  St.  Louis,  were  attached  to  the  Committee  to  render  such  assistance  as  might  be  desired  —  the 
surgeon  to  advise  on  hygiene  and  sanitary  questions,  and  the  press  representative  to  act  as  secretary. 

71 


Talking   about   the   day's   run -Charles    w.    Knapp   and  The  Committee  held  several   meetings  before  a  report  was  ready 

Captain  von  Leitner. 

for  submission.  This  report  outlined  a  proposed  program  for  the  two 
days  on  the  Isthmus,  and  recommended  a  plan  of  organization  or 
division  of  the  members  into  eight  groups  to  give  special  attention  to 
as  many  subjects.  The  Committee  reported  favorably  upon  Chief 
Engineer  Stevens'  suggestion,  and  added  to  it  the  following: 

"That  in  Panama  a  dinner  be  given  at  Hotel  Tivoli  at  7  o'clock  on  the 
evening  of  the  first  day,  to  which  guests  to  be  selected  by  Mr.  Stevens,  up  to  one 
hundred,  should  be  invited  in  the  name  of  the  Clubs. 

"That  luncheon  on  the  second  day  at  one  of  the  eating-houses  be  the  same 
as  is  given  to  their  men. 

"That  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  an  informal  dinner  be  given  on 
board  the  '  PRINZ  JOACHIM',  with  guests  not  exceeding  fifty. 

"That  the  first  afternoon  be  arranged  so  that  members  can  for  two  hours,  as 
they  like,  stroll  about  the  City  of  Panama,  see  the  sights  and  visit  the  shops ;  and 
that  on  the  second  day,  if  possible,  we  run  up  the  Canal  in  launches. 

"That  as  members  are  in  eight  groups,  according  to  the  subjects  that  interest 
them,  the  groups  keep  together  in  landing  so  as  to  meet  the  officials  especially  able 
to  give  them  information  desired." 

With  some  minor  modifications  and  with  changes  in  the  order 
of  things,  found  to  be  advisable  after  the  landing  at  Colon,  the  main 
features  of  the  program  were  carried  out. 

The  Committee,  of  which  Mr.  Wulsin  was  Chairman,  submitted 
its  recommendations  to  a  general  meeting  of  members  of  the  Clubs  in 
the  dining  saloon  on  the  26th  of  February,  the  first  evening  after  the 
departure  from  Porto  Rico.     Mr.  Farwell,  Vice-President  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Chicago,  presided. 

Chairman   Wulsin,  addressing  the  assembled  members  of  the  Clubs,  said   the  Committee    had  agreed  on  the 
following : 

1.  That  we  do  not  undertake  to  consider  engineering  problems  already  settled,  but  — 

2.  That  we  may  properly  consider:  — 
Are  labor  conditions  satisfactory  ? 
Is  labor  effective  ? 

Are  conditions  of  living  proper? 

3.  That  our  aim  be  not  to  assume  finality  of  judgement  but  to  form  impressions  as  to  conduct  cf  the  work. 
Is  it  being  carried  on  properly  and  efficiently  ? 

Does  the  cost  appear  reasonable  ? 

72 


What  are  the  sanitary  conditions  ? 
4.     Our  attention  and  thoughts  should  be  directed  to  these  questions  by  groups,   and   if  we  find  material  fur  criticism,  it  should 

be  helpful,  not  destructive. 

The  Committee,  the  Chairman  said,  recommended  the  formation  of  groups  of  members  upon  the  following 
subjects  of  special  inquiry: 

1.  Sanitary  and  Hygienic  Conditions. 

2.  Plan  of  Management. 

3.  Social  and  Racial  Conditions,  including  Welfare  and  Ethical  Questions. 

4.  Housing  and  Food. 

5.  Climate  and  its  effects  upon  Americans. 

6.  Efficiency  of  Labor. 

7.  Progress  of  the  Work. 

8.  Efficiency  of  the  Plant,  including  the  Railroad. 

Elaborating  the  thought  of  the  Committee  in  making  these  recommendations,  Mr.  Wulsin  said: 

"We  go  to  Panama  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  impressions.  To  arrive  at  conclusions  would  require  an  amount  of  stuoy 
which  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  give,  but  we  can  form  impressions  of  what  we  see,  which  may  have  more  or  leu  value  to  ourselves  and 
to  those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact. 

"The  Committee  therefore  laid  down  the  proposition  that,  in  whatever  studies  we  make  on  the  Isthmus,  there  is  one  thing  we 
must  recognize,  and  that  is  that  we  do  not,  nor  can  we,  undertake  to  consider  and  judge  or  pass  upon  engineering  problems.  We  all 
know  that  the  greatest  engineers  of  the  world  were  called  in  to  consider  the  kind  of  canal  to  be  built,  and  among  them  was 
considerable  diversity  of  opinion.  The  engineering  problems  are  now  practically  all  settled,  and  we  are  certainly  not  going  with  any 
idea  that  we  can  form  judgments  on  them. 

"In  making  this  visit  to  Panama,  we  are  not  going  to  be  hypercritical,  but  shall  endeavor  to  be  helpful  to  our  fellow-Americans 
who  are  engaged  in  that  great  work,  whether  as  our  friends,  or  simply  as  employees  of  the  Commission.  It  has  therefore  been  suggested 
—  and  I  wish  to  repeat  this  —  that  we  do  not  assume  that  we  are  going  to  Panama  capable  of  forming  judgments  on  this  work  from 
our  two  days  of  inspection,  but  we  are  going  to  form  impressions.  In  doing  this,  if  we  would  systematize  our  work  of  observation,  we 
should  proceed  with  order,  so  that  each  man  may  have  a  subject  to  which,  so  far  as  he  is  concerned,  his  special  attention  will  be 
directed  as  a  line  of  inquiry. 

"From  the  brief  thought  I  have  been  able  to  give  this  matter  in  a  general  way,  it  seems  to  me  our  questions,  as  we  30  along 
the  Isthmus,  should  be  such  as  these : 

' '  How  do  you  manage  ? 

' '  How  do  you  buy  ? 

"How  do  you  enable  your  men  to  do  what  they  are  called  upon  to  do  and  what  do  they  accomplish? 

"How  do  you  get  your  requisitions  for  stores  and  supplies  filled  without  a  delay  of  six  weeks  or  more  and  s  hundred  yards  of  red 
tape  —  to  get  a  pin,  for  example? 

"Another  point,  however,  in  the  special  Committee's  plan  of  dividing  the  members  into  groups  in  going  across  the  Isthmus,  is 
to  associate  with  each  group  on  the  Isthmus  the  oHicials  having  charge  of  special  lines  of  work,  who  will  be  able  to  inform  them 
accurately  and  reliably  on  specific  points,  showing  how  the  business  is  run  and  the  work  is  done." 

73 


An  interesting  discussion  of  the  Committee's  recommendations  ensued. 

Mr.  McCormick  happily  called  the  plan  one  of  "systematic  observation,"  and  this  was  adopted  as  the  best 
description  of  what  was  contemplated  in  the  visit  to  the  canal  route. 

Inquiries  by  Mr.  Charles  W.  Knapp  and  Mr.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  brought  out  a  general  expression  of 
views  by  members. 

Commenting  on  the  recommendations,  Mr.   Moore,  of  St.   Louis,  said: 

"Mr.  Chairman,  as  I  understand  it,  the  purpose  of  this  Committee  in  presenting  this  plan  of  organization,  is  to  help  us  form 
impressions,  and  from  such  impressions,  to  draw  conclusions,  understanding  that  they  are  not  authoritative  —  not  final  judgments,  but 
such  temporary  judgments  as  the  condition  of  the  matter  may  warrant.  Such  judgments,  although  not  final,  I  think  are  nevertheless 
very  valuable." 

The  question  being  asked  whether  it  was  the  purpose  to  give  to  the  press  the  reports  of  the  groups  under 
the  proposed  plan,  Mr.  Crawford,  of  St.  Louis,  stated: 

"I  want  to  say  emphatically  that  as  far  as  I  have  talked  over  this  matter  with  the  Committee  the  question  of  publication  is  to 
be  absolutely  a  subsequent  matter.  I  am  very  sure  that  it  is  a  second  or  third  purpose,  if  one  at  all.  The  thought  of  the  Committee 
was  simply  to  provide  the  most  effective  and  comprehensive  method  of  acquiring  information  for  the  benefit  of  the  members  of  this 
party,  and  having  it  for  such  dissemination  as  the  members  themselves  may  decide.  The  Group  on  Sanitation,  for  example,  will  inspect 
the  quarters  of  the  workmen,  the  water  supply,  street  and  sewage  systems,  and  report  what  they  found  and  what  their  opinion  is 
concerning  the  same.  The  Group  on  Climate  will  make  inquiries  as  to  the  kinds  of  weather  that  prevail,  the  seasons,  and  how  the 
workmen  are  affected  thereby.  The  Group  on  Efficiency  of  the  Plant  will  examine  and  report  on  the  machinery  and  tools  and 
appliances  in  use,  and  the  condition  and  operation  of  the  railroad.  I  believe  I  am  assigned  to  the  Group  whose  duty  it  will  be  to 
look  into  Social  and  Racial  Conditions  and  the  ethical  questions  connected  therewith.  When  we  return  to  the  boat  from  the  trip 
across  the  Isthmus  the  several  groups  will  submit  their  respective  reports.  That  I  am  quite  sure  is  the  principal  object;  the  matter  of 
publication  can  take  care  of  itself  later.  The  plan  appeals  to  me  as  an  excellent  one  and  I  should,  for  my  part,  like  to  see  it  adopted." 

Mr.  Carter,  of  Boston,  also  strongly  favored  the  proposed  plan,  saying: 

"I  certainly  hope  this  plan  will  be  carried  out.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  me  to  think  that  I  can  get  the  benefit  of  what  the  other 
members  of  this  party  will  see  on  the  Isthmus,  as  well  as  what  I  may  see  myself.  Eighty  sponges  can  absorb  more  than  one  sponge, 
and  I  want  to  take  back  the  absorption  of  eighty  sponges.  I  think  this  idea  simply  means  planning  in  a  systematic  way  the  work  we 
want  to  accomplish.  We  ought  to  know  before  we  get  to  Colon,  or  at  least  by  the  time  we  arrive  there,  how  we  are  going  to  work 
and  what  we  are  going  to  do,  and  when  we  get  back  to  the  ship  each  group  will  bring  up  its  respective  subject  and  we  will  discuss 
them  in  order.  What  the  members  of  each  group  have  to  say  will  be  only  their  personal  opinions;  we  can  then  select  what  we  want 
and  when  those  selections  are  all  boiled  down  that  will  be  the  report.  It  seems  to  me  the  committee  is  wise  in  saying  that  what  we 
bring  in  will  be  only  our  impressions.  I  hope  the  plan  the  Committee  has  suggested  will  be  approved." 

Mr.  Farwell,  of  Chicago,  voiced  his  sentiments  on  the  matter  as  follows: 

"When  Secretary  Taft  was  in  Chicago  and  made  us  a  little  speech,  the  impression  we  received  was  that  we  would  make  no 
formal  report  for  publication,  but  would  come  back  and  say  to  our  friends  what  we  thought  of  the  work  and  correct  any  false 
impressions  that  had  gone  abroad.  The  further  the  distance  the  greater  the  lie  and  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  refute  it.  A  body  of  men 
like  this,  coming  back  and  reporting  to  their  friends  what  they  saw,  would  do  a  great  deal  of  good." 

74 


A  strong  advocate  of  the  plan  was  Mr.  Elihu  Thomson,  of  Boston,  who  said: 

"I  must  say  that  when  I  first  heard  that  Mr.  Wulsin  proposed  to  have  this  organization  effected  I  felt  a  great  tense  of  relief. 
By  dividing  ourselves  into  groups,  as  suggested,  we  can  each  study  and  devote  ourselves  to  a  specific  line  of  inquiry  and  investigation, 
and  secure  as  much  information  as  possible  on  that  particular  subject.  To  facilitate  the  getting  of  thorough  and  comprehensive 
information  regarding  this  great  undertaking,  gentlemen,  an  organization  such  as  this  is  essential.  Otherwise  a  great  number  of  us 
will  ask  the  same  questions  and  many  questions  will  be  overlooked  altogether.  After  obtaining  all  this  information  we  seek,  if  we 
come  to  different  conclusions  about  it,  that  is  another  matter,  but  what  we  want  is  to  get  first  the  information.  I  think  that  everything 
to  be  said  is  in  favor  of  an  organization  of  this  kind.  With  it,  we  go  to  the  Isthmus  in  a  systematic  body  and  with  a  clear  idea  of 
what  we  are  each  to  do." 

The  conclusion  of  the  meeting  was  the  unanimous  adoption  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Committee, 
and  the  division  of  the  members  into  groups  as  follows : 


GROUP  No.  1. 

SANITARY  AND   HYGIENIC    CONDITIONS. 

Mr.  Boit,  Boston,  Chairman 

Mr.  Clow,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Bremer,  Boston, 

Mr.  Benj.  Carpenter,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Ryerson,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Lodge,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Warrington,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  H.   P.  Knapp,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Hill,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Geo.  O.  Carpenter,  St.  Louis, 

Dr.    Warren,  Boston. 


GROUP  No.  2. 

PLAN   OF   MANAGEMENT. 

Mr.  Wulsin,  Cincinnati,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Whitman,  Boston, 

Mr."  Cumner,  Boston, 

Mr.  Carter,  Boston, 

Mr.  Baker,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Morton,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Rowe,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Goshorn,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.   Laws,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Francis,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Chas.  W.  Knapp,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  R.  McK.  Jones,  St.  Louis. 


GROUP  No.  3. 

SOCIAL  AND  RACIAL   CONDITIONS,   INCLUDING   WELFARE    AND   ETHICAL   QUESTIONS. 

Mr.  Maxwell,  Cincinnati,  Chairman,  Mr.  Taylor,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Hutchinson,  Chicago,  Mr.  Ault,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Batcheller,  Boston,  Mr.  Campbell,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Minot,  Boston,  Mr.  Crawford,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Conover,  Chicago,  Mr.  George  M.  Wright,  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Morron,  Chicago, 

75 


GROUP  No.  4. 

HOUSING    AND    FOOD. 

Mr.  Knox,  St.  Louis,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Burnett,  Boston, 

Mr.  F.  B.  Carpenter,   Boston, 

Mr.  Bartlett,  Boston, 

Mr.  Carr,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Swift,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Langdon,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Chatfield,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Gamble,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Dozier,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Nugent,   St.  Louis. 

GROUP  No.  6. 

EFFICIENCY   OF    LABOR. 

Mr.  Farwell,   Chicago,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Meacham,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Dennison,  Boston, 

Mr.  Mandell,  Boston, 

Mr.  Cofran,  Chicago, 

Mr.  MacFarland,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Green,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Worthington,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Davis,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Carleton,  St.  Louis. 

EFFICIENCY   OF 

Mr.  Thomson,   Boston,   Chairman, 

Mr.  Cowdery,  St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Dwight,  Boston, 

Mr.  Russell,  Boston, 

Mr.  Chalmers,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Wilson,  Chicago, 


GROUP  No.  5. 

CLIMATE    AS    IT   AFFECTS   AMERICANS. 

Mr.  Schmidlapp,  Cincinnati,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Lawrence,   Boston, 

Mr.  Cutler,  Boston, 

Mr.  J.  G.  Wright,  Boston, 

Mr.  Clark,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Fuller,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Goepper,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Frank  J.  Jones,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Mooney,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Catlin,   St.  Louis, 

Mr.  Whitelaw,  St.  Louis. 

GROUP  No.  7. 

PROGRESS   OF   THE    CANAL   WORK. 

Mr.  Moore,  St.  Louis,  Chairman, 

Mr.  McCormick,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Scott,  St.  Louis 

Mr.  Rice,  Boston, 

Mr.  Noyes,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Thome,  Chicago, 

Mr.  Yeiser,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Egan,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Durrell,  Cincinnati, 

Mr.  Bi.xby,  St.  Louis. 

GROUP  No.  8. 

THE    PLANT,    INCLUDING    THE    RAILROAD. 

Mr.  Omwake,  Cincinnati, 
Mr.  Geier,  Cincinnati, 
Mr.  Carew,  Cincinnati, 
Mr.  Bascom,  St.  Louis, 
Mr.  Wells,  St.  Louis. 


76 


11 


House  Sanitation 


.Clow. 


.  Warrington. 


During  the  next  two  days  the  groups  held  meetings,  talked  over  their  respective  subjects,  and  further 
sub-divided  the  lines  of  information  to  be  sought.  Brief  reference  to  this  preparatory  work  is  interesting 
as  showing  the  thoroughness  which  the  groups  applied  to  their  observation.  The  Group  on  Sanitary  and 
Hygienic  Conditions,  of  which  Mr.  Boit,  of  Boston,  was  Chairman,  sub-divided  as  follows : 

Towns 

Camps 

I    Buildings •) 

Drainage <  s  V   Carpenter,  G.  O. 

I  Working  areas f 

Plumbing Inspection Knapp,   H.  P. 

Paving  and  Maintenance , 

Cleanliness / 

Garbage — Removal  and  disposal  \ 

Inspection / 

Materials 1 

Space I  Ryer8°n 

^reen.ing }   Lodge. 

Cleanliness ) 

Inspection Hill. 

Hospitals  and  Dispensaries .  . 

Jails ) 

General  Sanitation -J  Quarantine .   ) 

1   ...  >  Carpenter,    Benj. 

Mosquitoes ) 

Inspection Warren. 

Chairman  Wulsin's   Group   on  the   Plan   of  Management  determined  to  look  especially 
to  the  following :  , 

1.     What  changes   have  been   made   in   the   plan    of   organization   outlined   in   the   President'* 
executive  order  of  November  17,  1906  ? 

2.     Has     any    announcement    been     made    since    the     Clubs    sailed     from     Charleston. 
February  20th,  regarding  the  letting  of  a  general  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  Canal? 

3.     Does    political    influence   control    or   affect    in    any   degree   the    appointment 
of  officers  and  employees  ? 

4.  Are    union    labor    organizations     recognized,     or    their    rule*    observed     in 
any  branch  of  mechanical  work  ? 

5.  Does   the   eight-hour    law    apply    to    any    line   of    work  ?     If    it    doe*,    is 
the  effect  beneficial  or  detrimental  ? 

6.  With    a   single  executive   head    with    authority   over   all  departments,  what 
check  will  there  be  on  his  acts  ? 

7.  If  a  general  construction   contract  is  not  entered  into,  will  it   be  necessary 

77 


The  Sun  from  Colon  —  Taking  special  train  to  cron  the  Uthmut 


2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 


to  advertise  for  bids  in  the  cases  of  purchases  of  $10,000  or  more,  except  in  emergencies  ? 

8.  Does  the  system  of   accounting   provide  for  a  periodical    statement  of    assets  and    liabilities,  or  is  it   confined   to  a  statement  of 
receipts  and  expenditures  ? 

9.  Has  any    policy   been  established    respecting   purchases  outside  the    United   States  in  cases  where  lower    prices  can   be  obtained 
in  foreign  markets  ? 

The  Group  upon  Efficiency  of  Plant,  including  the  Railroad,  of  which  Elihu  Thomson  was  chairman, 
decided  to  make  special  inquiries  as  to  the  following : 

1.     Number  of  dredges. 
Number  of  excavators. 
Accessories. 

Number  of  railway  cars. 
Number  of  locomotives. 
Track  conditions. 
Average  length  of  haul. 
Workshifts. 

Improvements  in  machinery  to  be  made. 
Lighting  in  case  of  night  work. 
Proposed  plant  for  electric  power. 

The  group  having  Social  and  Racial  Conditions,  including  Welfare  and  Ethical  Questions  to  consider, 
organized  with  Mr.  Maxwell,  of  Cincinnati,  as  chairman,  and  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Cincinnati,  as  secretary.  The 
subject  was  divided,  and  sub-committees  were  appointed  as  follows: 

Religious    and    Moral    Conditions:    Messrs.    Morron,    Crawford    and    Hutchinson.  —  Buildings    and    equipment 
existing  and   proposed;  church  organizations;   Y.   M.   C.   A.  etc.    Saloons.      High  license.      Social  evil. 

Educational   Conditions:    Messrs.    Minot,    Conover   and    Ault.  —  Buildings    and   equipment; 
enrollment  in  proportion  to  school  age  population.     Segregation  of  races.     Organization,  grading  and 
courses  of  study.      Appointment,  experience  and  origin  of  teachers.     Federation.     Languages  taught. 
Night  and  adult  schools.     Compulsory  attendance. 

Recreations    and     Amusements:        Messrs.    Batcheller  and    Taylor.  —  Buildings   and 
equipment.     Theaters.     Music.     Dancing.     Recreation  and  athletic  grounds  and  organizations. 
Clubs.     Secret  societies.     Gambling.     Segregation  of  races. 

Law  and  Order:  Messrs.  Maxwell,  G.  M.  Wright  and  Campbell.  —  Code  of 
Laws.  Courts.  Police.  Private  tenure  of  land.  Conditions  in  Colon  and  Panama. 

The  Group  on  Housing  and  Food,  of  which  Mr.  Burnett,  of 
Boston,  became  chairman,  when  Mr.  Knox  grew  too  ill  to  give  the 
subject  further  attention,  included  in  its  membership  F.  B.  Carpenter, 
of  Boston,  who  is  commissary  general  of  Massachusetts.  Upon  the 
question  of  food  the  group  adopted  the  following  lines  of  inquiry: 

1.     Who  is  in  charge  of  the  subsistence  of  employees? 
78 


Stewards  of  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  observing  the  members  of 
the  Commercial  Clubs  going  ashore  at  Colon. 


HEADS  OF  DEPARTMENTS,  ADMINISTRATION  BUILDING,  CULEBRA,  CANAL  ZONE 

Left   to   right:      Top    Row  —  J.    F.    Stevens,    Chief    Engineer;    H.    D.    Reed,    Executive   Secretary;    W.    G.    Comber,    Division   Engineer, 

La  Boca;   E.   P.   Shannon,   Secretary-  of  Chief  Engineer;   W.   G.   Bierd,   Manager  Panama  Railroad;  Jackson  Smith,   Manager  Labor 

Quarters;    Captain    Shanton,    Chief   of   Police,    Canal    Zone.      Second    Row  —  J.    G.    Holcombe,    Division    Engineer,    Municipal 

Engineer;    Colonel    Gorgas,    Chief    Sanitary   Officer;    Joseph    Ripley,    Assistant    Chief   Engineer;    F.   A.    Maltby,    Principal 

Assistant    Engineer;    W.    G.    Tubby,    Material    and    Supplies.       Bottom    Row  —  E.    J.    Williams,     Disbursing    Officer; 

D.   W.   Bolich,   Division  Engineer,   Culebra;   R.   Arango,   Division  Engineer  Met.   and   River  Hyn.;   H.  L.   Stuntz, 

Local   Auditor;  G.  D.   Brooke,   Superintendent  Motive  Power  and  Machinery;  W.  M.  Belding,  Master  Builder. 

(Average  age,  43  years) 


2.  Is  there  any  restriction  as  regards  diet,  or  can  any  employee  have  what  is  desired  ? 

3.  Is  the  plan  of  army  rations  used,  or  is  subsistence  sold  in  quantities,  irrespective  of  immediate  needs? 

4.  Price  lists  of  commissary  stores. 

5.  Is  there  any  regulation  as  regards  the  kind  of  food  issued,  or  is  this  left  entirely  in  charge  of  the  purchaser? 

6.  How  are  stores  paid  for,  in  cash  or  in  orders  on  the  paymaster  ? 

7.  Are  exchanges  established  similar  to  post  exchanges  at  an  army  post,  or  do  the  commissary  stores  of  the  Commission    carry  a 
large  variety  of  stores  other  than  the  usual  army  rations  ? 

The    Group    upon  Efficiency    of  Labor,  of  which    Mr.    Farwell,  of  Chicago,    was  chairman,    agreed  to   seek 
information  along  these  lines: 
Different  nationalities  of  labor. 
Proportion  of  each  nationality. 
Relative  efficiency  of  each  nationality. 
Proportion  of  each  nationality  in  the  hospitals. 

How  many  days  in  the  week  does  each  nationality  average  to  work  ? 

How  does  the  average  American  workman  in  Panama  compare  in  efficiency  with  the  same  man  in  the  United  States  ? 
Difficulty  in  getting  labor. 
The  best  sources  of  supply. 

Admitting  sufficient  housing,  how  many  men  are  there  at  work  now,  and  how  many  more  could  be  worked  to  advantage  ? 
Also  how  many  additional  men  will  probably  be  wanted  each  year  to  produce  the  maximum  results? 
Is  there  any  insufficiency  of  skilled  labor? 
Efficiency  of  foremen,  and  chances  of  promotion. 
What  difficulties  are  there  in  handling  labor  ? 
Is  there  any  probability  of  strikes  ? 

The  result  of  this  preparation  for  the  visit  was  apparent  within  half  an  hour  after  the  tug  had  landed  the 
party  on  the  wharf  at  Colon.  A  train  was  waiting.  A  committee  to  receive  and  to  conduct  personally  was 
ready.  For  this  duty,  more  onerous  than  they  had  imagined,  "The  Chief,"  as  Mr.  Stevens  was  universally  called 
on  the  Isthmus,  had  selected  Jackson  Smith,  Colonel  W.  C.  Gorgas,  W.  D.  Bolick,  Arnold  Shanklin  and  W.  G. 
Bierd.  Members  of  the  party  were  not  slow  in  learning  that  Jackson  Smith  was  manager  of  labor,  quarters  and 
subsistence ;  that  Mr.  Bolick  was  one  of  the  division  engineers  of  the  canal  construction,  and  that  Mr.  Bierd 
was  general  manager  of  the  Panama  Railroad,  whom  "The  Chief"  accounted  one  of  his  most  valuable 
discoveries  in  the  make-up  of  the  organization.  Mr.  Shanklin  is  the  Consul-General  to  the  Panama  Republic, 
whose  robust  Americanism  has  made  him  a  marked  force  in  all  Isthmian  affairs.  Everybody  knew,  without 
asking,  Colonel  Gorgas,  who  had  given  the  Isthmus  its  first  year  in  four  hundred  past  without  a  single  case  of 
yellow  fever.  Each  of  these  representatives  of  "The  Chief"  speedily  found  himself  the  center  of  a  group  of 
serious-faced,  terse-speaking  business  men,  who  wasted  no  time  in  talk,  but  who  asked  questions  right  and  left, 
who  stopped  to  look  into  details,  who  talked  with  superintendents,  with  foremen,  with  clerks,  with  laborers. 

81 


On  the  Isthmus 


THE  nine-hundred  and  thirty-four  miles  of  unbroken  steaming  from  Porto  Rico  toward  the  Equator 
brought  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  within  view  of  the  Isthmus  early  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  March 
1st.  When  the  members  of  the  Clubs  in  bath  robes  trooped  up  to  the  officers'  deck  to  take  their 
salt  water  plunges  and  showers  behind  the  tarpaulin  sided  enclosure,  they  saw  the  low-lying  mountains 
on  the  port  side.  It  took  some  rubbering  to  adjust  the  points  of  the  compass.  Here  was  land  in  the  wrong 
direction,  and  the  sun  was  coming  up  in  front  of  the  ship.  The  Isthmian  geography  requires  study.  The  sun 
rises  in  the  Pacific  and  sets  in  the  Atlantic,  as  seen  from  one  point  of  observation.  To  cover  the  forty  miles 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  one  travels  almost  due  south.  There  is  two  feet  of  tide  in  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
the  Atlantic  at  Colon,  and  twenty-odd  feet  difference  in  the  daily  sea  levels  of  the  Pacific  at  Panama.  The  land 
lubber  must  be  set  right  on  several  fundamental  points  like  these  before  he  is  ready  to  study  conditions  in  the 
Canal  Zone. 

Before  going  ashore  by  tug  at  Colon,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  familiarized  themselves  with  advice  from 
the  Joint  Committee  to  this  effect: 

No  wandering  in  Colon,   in  view  of  the  health  rules. 

Pack  in  suit  cases,  to  be  properly  tagged,  dinner  dress  suit,  conveniences  for  spending  the  night  at  hotel,  and  clean  linen. 

Trip  is  dirty. 

Wear  high  shoes. 

American  money  is  worth  two  for  one.     Take  small  change,  which  can  be  obtained  from  the  purser. 

Bargain  with  cabs.     This  is  an  individual  expense. 

As  members  are  in  eight  groups,  according  to  the  subjects  that  interest  them,  it  is  suggested  that  groups  keep  together  in  landing, 
so  as  to  meet  the  officials  especially  able  to  give  them  information  desired. 

A  quick  transfer  from  the  dock  to  the  special  train  was  made.  But  before  the  train  started  one  group 
was  noting  the  brick- paved  streets,  the  evidence  that  the  low  coral  island  which  is  the  site  of  the  Alantic 
terminus  of  the  Canal  has  been  raised  out  of  the  mire  by  filling  as  much  as  four  feet. 

Five  minutes  beyond  the  station  at  the  docks  the  train  halted.  Mr.  Bierd  extended  the  opportunity  to 
look  over  the  railroad  terminal  yards,  the  machine  shops  and  the  round-house,  to  those  who  cared  to  go  through 
them.  He  was  a  little  surprised,  probably,  at  the  unanimity  with  which  the  members  got  out,  and  more  so  by 

82 


the  thoroughness  with  which  Mr.  Elihu  Thomson's  group  entered  upon  the  inspection.  The  rauroad,  as 
became  impressive  before  the  visit  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  to  Panama  was  finished,  is  the  great  mechanical 
factor  in  the  building  of  the  Canal.  It  is  the  chief  of  the  tools.  A  mile  of  track  is  shifted  or  laid  entirely  new 
every  day.  Genius  in  railroad  construction  is  building  the  Canal.  It  is  saving  millions  of  dollars  in  the  moving 
of  the  tens  of  millions  of  cubic  yards  of  dirt.  Marvelous  things  men  who  are  familiar  with  the  evolution  of 
railroad  building  in  the  States  saw  done  during  their  brief  stay  on  the  Isthmus.  They  timed  a  long  train  of  cars 
loaded  high  with  rock  and  dirt  and  pushed  out  on  a  dump  track.  The  cars  were  hardly  at  a  standstill  when  a 
great  scraper,  drawn  by  a  cable,  was  pulled  from  end  to  end,  sweeping  clean  to  one  side  of  the  track  the  entire 
train  load.  And  then  a  car  with  a  powerful  apparatus  somewhat  like  a  snow  plow,  but  stronger,  moved  along  the 
same  track,  leveling  and  spreading  and  pushing  out  of  the  way  the  unloaded  dirt.  Six  men  with  the  equipment 
which  has  been  adapted  to  canal  construction  —  and  there  is  great  variety  of  it  —  do  in  a  day  what  a  few  years 
ago  would  have  taken  three  thousand  men  a  week.  This  application  of  the  most  advanced  mechanical 
appliances  in  railroad  grading  and  construction,  and  the  continuous  exercise  of  trained  ingenuity  to  create  more 
mechanism  of  the  same  sort,  filled  the  visitors  with  enthusiastic  admiration  and  inspired  confidence  that  the 
52,000,000  cubic  yards  of  dirt  and  rock  to  be  taken  out  of  the  Culebra  Cut,  which  is  the  heavy  section  of 
digginK.  will  be  moved.  In  January  the  amount  taken  out  of  the  Cut  was  566,750  cubic  yards;  in  February-, 
650,000  cubic  yards  —  a  short  month.  By  June  it  was  expected  that  the  removal  would  reach  1,000,000  cubic 
yards.  The  shifting  of  the  tracks  made  necessary  from  day  to  day,  as  the  dumps  grow,  and  as  the  levels  go 
down  in  the  excavation,  is  largely  a  matter  of  mechanical  appliances.  Sections  of  track  are  picked  up  and  shifted 
several  feet  by  powerful  machinery,  which  is  wheeled  on  cars  from  point  to  point  as  needed. 

With  the  mechanical  devices  performing  such  a  vital  part  in  the  work,  the  railroad  yards  and  shops  came 
in  for  particular  study  by  the  group  which  observed  the  "  Efficiency  of  the  Plant." 

The  Isthmian  Commission,  realizing  how  much  railroad  experience  must  count  in  this  canal  building,  has 
drawn  upon  the  best  talent  that  can  be  found,  and,  as  well,  has  provided  the  latest  devices  and  the  best  possible 
equipment.  Jackson  Smith  and  W.  D.  Bolick  were  associated  in  railroad  building  in  South  America.  They  had 
part  in  the  construction  of  the  wonderful  road  between  Guayaquil  and  Quito  in  Ecuador,  where  it  was  necessary 
to  lower  a  man  by  rope  150  feet  and  keep  him  suspended  until  he  could  drill  a  hole,  put  in  a  blast  and  thus 
secure  a  footing  by  which  to  locate  one  section  of  the  route.  Such  men  are  not  daunted  by  the  magnitude  of 
the  Panama  Canal.  They  go  on  devising  methods  to  increase  the  amount  of  dirt  handled,  with  the  minimum  of 
manual  labor  and  the  resultant  economy,  until  they  make  — 

The  mountains  to  skip  like  rams,  the  little  hills  like  lambs. 

On  the  Isthmus  there  are  two  points  of  observation  which  overshadow  the  rest  of  the  Canal  route, 
interesting  as  is  every  one  of  the  fifty  miles  from  deep  sea  to  deep  sea.  These  points  arc  "The  Dam"  and 

H 


"The  Cut."     In  speaking  of  them  the  canal  man  does  not  say  "The  Gatun  Dam"   and  "The  Culebra  Cut." 
He  refers  to  "The  Dam"  and  to  "The  Cut." 

The  Dam  is  to  be  built  across  the  valley  of  the  Chagres  River  just  below  the  village  of  Gatun.  It  is  five 
and  one-half  miles  from  the  Colon  terminus  of  the  railroad,  but  seven  and  one-half  miles  from  the  deep  water  end 
of  the  Canal  in  the  Atlantic,  or  the  Caribbean.  For  the  distance  of  four  and  one-half  miles  this  end  of  the  Canal 
is  to  be  dredged  through  Limon  Bay,  the  present  water  depth  of  the  Bay  varying  from  forty  feet  at  the  sea  end 
to  six  feet  just  off  the  shore.  This  is  a  matter  of  dredging  a  channel  and  presents  nothing  of  extraordinary 
interest.  The  members  of  the  Clubs  took  a  tug  and  went  over  this  Atlantic  end  of  the  route,  passing 
Cristobal,  the  point  built  out  by  the  French.  They  saw  the  house  that  was  constructed  for  and  occupied  by 
deLesseps,  the  group  of  shadowing  palms,  the  little  park  and  statue  of  Christopher  Columbus  presented  by 
Eugenie  in  the  days  when  hope  of  success  ran  high  in  France.  The  water  of  the  Bay  shoals  into  a  marsh. 
Three  miles  of  digging  and  dredging,  through  the  marsh  and  lowland,  brings  this  section  of  sea  level  canal  to 
the  locks  and  the  Gatun  Dam.  It  is  not  yet  time  to  begin  the  monotonous  but  not  difficult  work  of  dredging 
this  section.  The  Chagres  is  to  be  swallowed  by  the  lake  behind  the  Dam.  As  the  Dam  rises  the  dredging 
can  go  on.  Much  of  the  material  pumped  from  the  sea-level  section  may  be  disposed  of  in  the  Darn. 

At  Gatun  the  members  of  the  Clubs  left  the  train  and  devoted  a  considerable  part  of  the  first  half  day  on 
the  Isthmus  to  one  of  the  three  big  problems  of  the  Canal,"  as  President  Roosevelt  designated  them. 

If  present  plans  are  carried  out,  this  dam  at   Gatun  will   extend   from   one  high    hill  to  another,  across   the 

valley  of  the  Chagres.  It  will  be  7,700  feet 
long.  It  will  be  one-half  mile  thick  at  the 
bottom,  550  feet  wide  at  the  crest.  Behind 
this  dam  the  water  will  back  up  nearly  85 
feet  deep ;  it  will  spread  over  the  valleys 
and  lower  hills,  until  it  covers  considerably 
more  than  100  square  miles  —  some  say  as 
much  as  200  square  miles.  The  engineers' 
surveys  indicate  the  formation  of  a  great 
interior  lake,  thirty  miles  long,  and  in  places 
eight  miles  wide.  The  territory  covered, 
according  to  the  engineers,  will  be  not 
less  than  118  square  miles.  It  will  be 
increased  somewhat  by  the  excessive 

Site  of  the  Gatun  Dam  —  A   view  across  the  valley  on  the  line  of  the  proposed  embankment  7,700  feet  •     r    n         c     i_  *  T  -11  11 

long  and  one-half  mile  thick  at  the  base.  rainfalls  of  the  rainy  season.     It  will  swallow 

84 


A  STEAM  SHOVEL  AT  WORK 

It  lifts  five  buckets  of  spoil  in  two  minutes,   and  loads  ten  cars  in  thirty  minutes. 


the  Chagres  River  and  its  little  tributaries.  Rainfall  in  this  valley  of  the  Chagres  means  something  new  to 
visitors.  Just  before  Colon  was  reached,  the  following  prognostication  was  passed  about  on  the  decks  of  the 
"  PRINZ  JOACHIM 

The  moon  governs  the  weather,   as  a  rule, 

And  I  think  the  saying  is  true; 
For  at  Colon  it  rains  when  the  moon's  at  the  full, 

And  it  rains  when  the  moon's  at  the  new. 
When  the  moon's  at  the  quarter,  then  down  comes  the  rain; 

At  the  half  it's  no  better  I  ween ; 
When  the  moon's  at  three  quarters,  it's  at  it  again, 

Besides  it  rains  mostly  between. 

The  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  carried  their  rain  coats  two  days  and  saw  no  use  for  them.  Yet 
one  day  of  the  President's  visit  in  November  was  made  notable  by  a  shower  of  over  an  inch  in  fifteen  minutes. 
About  five  inches  of  rain  fell  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  But  November  and  March  represent  the  difference 
between  the  wet  and  the  dry  seasons.  On  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Isthmus  the  rainfall  is  120  inches — ten 
feet  —  in  the  course  of  twelve  months.  The  Chagres  has  been  known  to  rise  twenty-eight  feet  in  a  night. 
These  figures  enter  into  consideration  of  the  lake  and  of  the  dam  which  confines  it.  To  provide  for  any  excess 
of  water  over  the  amount  used  in  the  locks — that  is  to  maintain  a  steady  level  —  a  spillway  is  located  at  one 
end  of  the  dam. 

Approaching  Gatun  from  the  Atlantic,  the  ship  will  come  to  three  locks,  each  1,000  feet  long  and  100 
feet  wide.  The  ship  will  enter  the  first  lock  and  be  raised  twenty-eight  and  one-third  feet.  The  second  lock 
will  elevate  twenty-eight  and  one-third  feet,  and  the  third  lock  will  do  the  same.  From  the  third  lock  the  ship 
will  ride  out  upon  the  lake  eighty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  above  that  section  of  the 
Canal  it  has  just  left. 

The  members  climbed  the  high  hill  which  will  be  one  end  of  the  7,700  feet  of  the  dam,  and  viewed  the 
location  of  the  first  lock  in  the  descent,  the  excavation  for  which  was  in  progress.  They  found  the  steam 
shovels  busy  and  the  dirt  trains  moving.  The  flight  of  three  locks  will  be  double.  While  one  series  of  locks  is 
in  operation  raising  a  ship  to  the  lake,  the  duplicate  set  beside  it  may  be  lowering  a  ship  from  the  lake  to  the 
sea  level.  These  pairs  of  locks  are  to  be  built  as  one  structure  with  a  wall  dividing  them  into  two  independent 
parts.  The  structure  of  one  pair  of  these  double  locks  will  be  360  feet  wide,  of  reinforced  concrete,  with  outer 
walls  fifty  feet  thick  at  the  base  and  narrowing  to  about  twelve  feet  at  the  top.  The  wall  dividing  the  structure 
into  double  or  duplicate  locks  will  be  sixty  feet  thick.  The  whole  structure  will  be  buried  in  earth,  only  the 
coping  and  the  interior  being  exposed. 

Principal  Assistant   Engineer  Ripley,    a  graduate   of  engineering   at  the    University  of    Michigan,  with    thirty 

87 


years  experience  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Canal  between  Lake  Superior    valley  ot  The  chaeres-The  old  town  of  ca.un -.vhich  win 

obliterated  by  the  Dam  and  Lake. 

and  Lake  Huron,  explained  to  the  visitors  that  at  the  Sault  the  lift 
provides  for  a  vessel  600  feet  long,  sixty  feet  wide,  with  a  draft  of 
twenty  feet.  Here  the  lift  is  one-third  more  than  at  "The  Soo" 
and  provision  is  made  for  larger  craft.  At  each  end  of  the  upper  lock 
are  to  be  two  pairs  of  gates  for  more  perfect  control  of  the  water. 

The  visitors  gave  special  attention  to  the  foundations  upon  which 
must  rest  this  mighty  dam  and  these  massive  locks.  They  handled  the 
dirt  and  rock,  and  speculated  upon  the  character  of  the  formations. 
They  saw  the  results  of  the  borings.  The  surface  is  a  firm,  hard,  reddish 
clay  about  twenty  feet  thick.  Underneath  and  to  great  depth  is  a  soft 
blackish  rock,  little  more  than  indurated  clay. 

"It  is  nothing  else  than  the   old  bed  of   the  ocean"    was  the   way  one    of  the   engineers 
described  this  underlying  formation.     The  locks  will  be  sunk  in  this  clay  and  soft  rock.      The 
great  dam  will  rest  upon    this  foundation   most  of    its  length.     For  distances    aggregating    considerably  over   2,000 
feet    of  the   dam's  length    there  are    two  deep  depressions  in    the  soft    rock,  one    1,800  feet,    the  other  900   feet 
long.     These   depressions  are  filled  with  clay  and  scud  to  a  depth  of  200  feet,  beneath  which  is  coarse    sand  and 
gravel.     The    engineers   expressed  no  apprehension  as  to    the  character  of  the  foundations,  or    as  to    the  strength 
of  the    dam  to  hold  the  lake  nearly  85  feet  deep  at  the  base  of  the  dam.     The    crest  of   the  dam  will    rise    fifty 
feet  above    the   lake    level  which    is  85  feet  above    the  sea  level.     There  were    some  unsettled  questions   of  minor 
character   about  the  locks    and    the  dam,    the    engineers  said,    to    be  taken    up  when    the  members    of  the    Canal 
Commission  next  visited  the  work. 

A  great  camp  has  come  into  existence  upon  the  hills  overlooking  the  Gatun  Dam  site.  The  railroad 
tracks  have  been  laid  along  the  sites  of  the  locks  and  the  moving  of  the  dirt  has  begun.  The  building  of  these 
enormous  locks  will  be  a  work  of  years.  Preparation  for  the  magnitude  of  the  work  at  Gatun  is  impressive. 
The  house  building,  the  sanitary  and  water  systems  are  on  a  scale  to  take  care  of  a  community  of  at  least  5,000 
people.  When  the  preparations  are  sufficient  it  is  the  purpose  to  work  in  shifts  day  and  night  at  this  point. 

Standing  upon  the  hilltop  the  members  of  the  Clubs  looked  down  upon  the  little  village  of  Gatun,  which 
will  have  to  be  moved.  The  dam  and  lake  will  entirely  cover  its  present  site.  To  construct  the  dam  will 
require  22,000,000  cubic  yards  of  rock  and  dirt.  That  is  nearly  half  of  the  amount  to  be  moved  out  of  the 
Culebra  Cut  at  the  other  end  of  the  lake.  But  the  Culebra  Cut  spoil  will  not  be  brought  to  the  dam.  The 
shortest  possible  haul  is  the  rule  of  Panama  Canal  construction.  The  engineers  locate  the  dumps  with  a  degree 
of  care  second  only  to  the  attention  given  to  the  plan  of  excavation.  No  inconsiderable  part  of  the  22,000,000 


ON  GATUN  DAM  SITE 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Those  on  car  —  Oscar  L.   Whitelaw,  Thomas  P.   Egan,  W.   K.   Bixby,  J.   D.   Bascom,   J.  W.  G.  Cofran, 

Walker  Hill,  E.  G.  Cowdery,  Charles  W.  Knapp,  John  Omwake,  David   R.  Francis,   Rolla  Wells,    Collins  Thompson    (Official 

Stenographer) .   Those  on  the  ground  — John  W.  Warrington,  D.  B.  Meacham,  H.  C.  Scott,  Lawrence  Minot,  Cyrus  H.  McCormick, 

Benjamin   Carpenter,    B.   W.   Campbell,    H.   L.   Laws,    William   Gerig   (Engineer   for  Dam),   Consul-General   Shanklin, 

WilliamE.  Clow,  W.  G.  Bierd  (Gen.  Mgr.  PanamaR.  R.),  E.  S.  Williams  (Chief  Dept.  Finance),  R.  H.  W.  Dwight. 


cubic  yards  which  goes  into  the  dam  will  be  dredged  from  the  sea-level  canal  below  the  dam  and  pumped  to  the 
place  of  deposit.  When  some  one  asked  Engineer  William  Gerig  if  the  engineers  had  no  apprehension  about 
the  dam;  if  there  was  not  danger  of  the  water  leaking  through  after  the  dam  was  finished,  Mr.  Gerig  replied 
that  there  was  as  much  danger  of  water  working  through  the  hills  as  through  the  dam.  "We  don't  know  what 
is  inside  of  the  hills,"  he  said.  "We  will  know  what  is  inside  of  the  dam.  The  dam  will  be  just  as  solid  and 
settled  in  its  place  as  one  of  the  hills." 

At  Gatun,  acquaintance  with  the  Chagres  was  formed.  From  this  point  the  course  of  the  river  and  the 
present  route  of  the  Panama  Railroad  parallel  for  some  miles.  The  Chagres  has  an  awful  reputation  in  the 
rainy  season,  but  when  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  saw  it  the  river  was  harmless  looking.  It  reminded 
St.  Louis  members  of  the  Meramec  and  Boston  members  of  the  Merrimac.  The  Chagres  is  a  small  river  except 
when  the  rains  in  the  mountains  swell  its  volume.  It  is  a  succession  of  pools  of  clear  blue  water  with  frequent 
stretches  of  sandy  gravelly  beach.  Along  the  bank  is  luxuriant  vegetation  save  where  the  sanitary  gangs  have 
made  clearings  and  burned  the  trees  and  brush.  These  gangs  are  working  their  way  along  the  Canal  Zone, 
cutting  and  burning  as  they  go.  "The  jungle"  line  is  being  crowded  back  into  the  mountain  valleys.  This  is 
changing  the  appearance  of  the  Zone.  It  is  making  the  conditions  more  healthful  and  at  the  same  time 
preparing  the  way  for  the  channel  and  for  the  dumps  of  spoil. 

As  the  train  left  the  site  of  the  Gatun  Dam  and  steamed  up  the  valley  of  the  Chagres,  the  engineers 
explained  that  where  the  rails  ran  there  would  be  seventy-five  feet  of  water  when  the  lake  is  made.  The  depth 
of  the  lake  decreases  as  the  railroad  grade  ascends,  but  for  more  than  twenty  miles  this  Chagres  Valley,  which 

is   the   route    of  the   railroad  at    present,    will  be    under  water.      For    a 
distance  of  ten  miles  from  the  dam  the   lake  will  be  several  miles  wide, 
with  the  present  hills  forming  islands  of  varying   sizes.     The  depth   will 
be  sufficient  for  a  much  greater  width  of  channel  than  the  needs  of  the 
traffic  demand.     In  other  words,  there  will  be  a   good  deal   of  water  to 
spare.     When  George  M.  Wright,  of  St.   Louis,  came   on  deck    one 
morning    during    the    passage  through    the   Caribbean    and   looked    all 
around    the  horizon    without  sighting    a   sail,    he  remarked    to  a  man 
from  Boston: 

"There  is  a  great  waste  of  water  here.  At  least  85*  of  it 
could  be  spared.  We  don't  need  it  in  our  business." 

For  ten  miles  of  the  lake  there  will  be  water  to  spare.  For 
sixteen  miles  of  the  twenty-three  of  lake  travel  in  crossing  the 
Isthmus  the  canal  route  will  have  a  normal  width  of  1,000  feet, 


A  virw  of  the  deceptive  Chigrei  River. 


91 


widening  occasionally  to  considerably  more  than  that,  but  not  narrowing  to  less  than  the  1,000  feet.  Beyond 
sixteen  miles  the  width  of  the  route  narrows  to  800  feet  and  maintains  that  for  a  distance  of  four  miles.  As  the 
route,  still  by  way  of  the  lake,  enters  the  more  mountainous  region,  the  width  decreases.  The  lake  ends.  The 
Canal  is  in  plain  evidence  with  towering  sides.  This  is  the  Culebra  Cut,  sharing  with  Gatun  Dam  the 
importance  of  the  great  problems  involved.  When  the  ships  have  climbed  the  three  steps  at  Gatun  and  have 
sailed  the  twenty-three  miles  of  the  lake,  they  are  more  than  half-way  to  the  Pacific,  but  have  only  come  to  the 
backbone  of  the  Isthmus  —  a  backbone  which  is  miles  wide  and  which  is  made  of  something  more  substantial 
than  the  clay  and  shale  at  Gatun.  In  "The  Cut"  the  drillers  and  the  steam  shovels  are  down  to  the  trap  rock. 
The  explosives  smash  it  but  the  spoil  is  heavy  and  the  teeth  on  the  steam  shovels  have  to  bite  hard  to  hold  it 
and  raise  it.  A  few  days  before  the  arrival  of  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  a  blast  of  twenty-seven 
tons  of  explosive  was  let  off  at  once  in  "The  Cut".  It  tore  into  fragments  55,000  cubic  yards  of  rock  and  soil. 
The  engineers  are  now  ready  to  do  great  things  in  the  nine  miles  of  Culebra  Cut. 

At  Culebra  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  met  the  Chief  Engineer,  John  F.  Stevens.  From  that 
hour  until  the  departure  at  Colon  Mr.  Stevens  gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  visitors,  accompanying  them  to 
various  parts  of  the  work,  laying  before  them  plans  and  detailed  information.  On  the  day  before  the  arrival  of 
the  PRINZ  JOACHIM  the  announcement  of  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Stevens  had  reached  the  Isthmus  from 
Washington.  It  was  a  matter  of  surprise  to  the  members  of  the  Clubs  who  had  received  no  intimation  of  the 
coming  change  before  leaving  the  States.  The  party  had  hardly  landed  when  the  evidence  that  the  change  had 
come  as  a  shock  to  the  canal  organization  became  apparent.  Under  such  peculiar  circumstances  the  observation 
of  conditions  and  of  the  work  was  made,  gaining,  if  possible,  additional  importance  from  the  unexpected 
situation.  Mr.  Stevens  set  the  example  of  entire  frankness  in  his  communication  with  the  visitors,  an  example 
which  was  followed  by  all  of  his  assistants  and  subordinate  officials.  Every  question  pertaining  to  the  Canal  that 
could  be  suggested  was  answered  with  perfect  candor.  Only  upon  the  reasons  which  had  prompted  his 
resignation  was  the  Chief  Engineer  reticent.  His  responses  to  the  expressions  of  satisfaction  from  the  members 
of  the  Clubs  upon  what  they  saw  were  gratefully  appreciative.  He  showed  emotion  at  the  manifestations  of 
loyalty  by  the  organization.  His  manner  was  that  of  a  strong  man  who  had  been  under  prolonged  physical  and 
mental  strain,  and  who  was  looking  forward  to  a  rest  as  the  first  thing  after  relief.  The  explanations  the  Chief 
offered  of  the  work  showed  that  he  was  fully  satisfied  with  what  had  been  accomplished  ;  that  he  believed  the 
plan  of  preparation  had  been  well  laid.  As  for  future  progress,  there  was  no  mistaking  the  feeling  of  confidence 
he  held  that  the  Canal  could  be  completed  in  eight  years  along  the  lines  and  upon  the  plans  which  had  been 
developed.  Mr.  Stevens  was  quick  and  emphatic  in  his  assurances  to  the  members  that  no  friction  between  the 
President  and  himself  had  prompted  his  letter  of  resignation.  Mr.  Stevens  comes  from  old  New  England  stock. 
His  grandfather  went  into  the  wilds  of  Maine,  made  a  home  and  reared  a  family.  Earlier  than  that  the  family 

92 


AT  LUNCHEON  IN  THE  COMMISSION   HOTEL  CULEBRA 

From    left    to   right:      At    nearest    tables  —  Frank    J.    Jones,    Benj.    Carpenter,    Walter    W.    Taylor,    D.    B.    Meacham,    Daniel    Catlin, 

W.   J.    Chalmers,    Alfred   L.    Baker,    Lawrence  Maxwell,    Jr.,    Frederick    A.    Gier,    Dr.    Henry    S.    Warren    (Surgeon), 

Chas.    Gordon   Knox,   Stephen  L.    Bartlett,   R.  H.  W.  Dwight,  J.  T.  Carew,  W.  D.  Mandell,  J.   G.   Schmidlapp, 

H.    W.    Cumner,    Chas.    W.    Knapp,     Chas.   W.    Durrell,    William    Whitman,    Robert    M.    Burnett. 


tree  had  become  rooted  in  various  places  in  the  Connecticut  Valley.  The  Chief  Engineer  is  a  very  quiet  man. 
In  the  past  year  and  a  half  he  has  drawn  about  him  adventurous  Americans,  very  few  of  whom  had  known  him 
before  coining  to  the  Isthmus.  Among  these  captains  and  lieutenants  of  the  organization  are  "tropical  tramps" 
as  they  call  themselves  —  Americans  to  whom  life  and  work  in  the  tropics  have  a  fascination.  These  are  men 
who  have  built  railroads  in  almost  impossible  regions.  They  found  their  way  to  the  Isthmus  when  they  felt 
there  was  something  doing,  and  enlisted  —  that  is  the  word  —  for  the  period  of  construction  of  the  Canal. 
These  men  feel  entirely  at  home  under  the  conditions  of  the  Canal  Zone,  and  they  make  the  young  men  who 
come  down  from  the  States  feel  at  home  with  them.  One  of  these  "tropical  tramps"  who  by  sheer  force  of 
ability  and  devotion  to  the  task,  has  been  advanced  to  one  of  the  highest  positions  on  the  work,  was  called 
upon  for  a  speech  at  the  reception  given  at  the  Tivoli  by  the  members  of  the  Clubs.  Without  fear  of  possible 
consequences  deterring  him,  he  bluntly  declared : 

"We  will  dig  this  Canal  in  eight  years,  gentlemen,  if  Washington  will  let  us  alone." 

At  Culebra  the  members  of  the  Clubs  took  luncheon  in  a  dining-room  of  the  Isthmian  Commission  —  one 
of  those  set  apart  for  the  clerical  force.  The  dining-room  is  divided  into  two  parts ;  in  one  it  is  allowable 
to  sit  without  coats  at  the  table;  in  the  other,  a  little  more  formality  is  observed.  The  visitors,  at  their 
request,  were  served  as  nearly  as  practicable  with  the  regular  meal  furnished  at  thirty  cents  to  the  official  and 
clerical  force  of  the  Commission.  The  menu  for  luncheon,  Friday,  March  1st,  1907,  was: 

Cream  of  Oysters. 
Columbia  River  Salmon,  Sauce  Hollandaise. 

Pommes  Xaturelle. 

Chicken  Mayonnaise. 

French  Fried  Potatoes. 

Asparagus.  Petits  Pois. 

Mince  Pie.          Fruit. 

Cafe  Noir. 

From  the  porch  of  the  hotel  at  Culebra  the  members  of  the  Clubs  in  company  with  Mr.  Stevens,  ana 
the  Principal  Assistant  Engineer,  Mr.  Ripley,  and  the  Division  Engineer,  Mr.  Bolick,  looked  down  upon  the 
scene  of  activity  in  Culebra  Cut.  This  is  the  real  Canal — a  narrow  stretch  between  towering  sides  of  rock  and 
dirt.  The  slope  is  steep  in  places;  in  others,  where  the  mountain  range  shows  depressions,  the  incline  is  more 
gentle. 

Culebra  Cut  means  nine  miles  of  digging.  The  digging  goes  down  by  benches  or  levels.  A  bench  is  the 
width  and  height  that  a  steam  shovel  can  scoop  out  as  it  moves  along  the  bottom  or  the  side  of  the  cut.  From 
the  hotel  where  they  had  lunched  the  members  of  the  Clubs  could  see  miles  of  tracks  on  these  benches,  or 
levels,  in  the  sides  of  the  Canal.  Steam  shovels  were  at  work  one  above  another,  so  that  excavation  was  in 

95 


Culebra  Cut  — The  benches  or  levels  by  which  the  excavation  is  widened.     A  steam  shovel's  furrow 

i.  forty  f«t  wide. 


progress    at   the  bottom   and   on   every   bench. 

Each  shovel   had  its   train  of  cars  and  engine 

beside    it.      With    marvelous    quickness    the 

shovel  took  a   huge  bite  out   of    the   bank   of 

dirt    and    rock    in    front,    swung    the    bucket 

round   to  the   side    and    dropped    the   contents 

out  of  the  bottom.      Four  or  five  of  the  bites 

filled   a  car,  which  was   pushed   ahead   to  give 

place  to  another,  and  the  filling  was  repeated. 

As  soon  as  the  train  was  loaded,  away  puffed 

the    engine    to    the    nearest    dump ;    a    scraper 

was   drawn    by    cable   from    one    end    of    the 

train    to    the    other    and   the   contents    of    the 

cars  were    swept    to    one    side.     Some  of    the 

cars  were  of  different  pattern   and  were   tilted 

to  throw   off   the   contents.      A   club    member 

noticed   that   here    and    there    a    steam    shovel 

stood   idle  some  time  awaiting  the  delivery  of 

empty    cars.      The    Chief    Engineer    explained 

that  the  steam  shovels  had    been    sent    down 

from  the  States  more  rapidly  than  the  cars  so 

that   at  that  time  he  was  working  only   about   sixty  per   cent,   of  the  capacity  of   the  shovels.     Of   an  order  for 

1,000  cars  there  have  heen  delivered  700;  the  remaining  300  should  be  on  the  Isthmus  now  and  would  be  there 

but  for  a  fire  in  the  car  building  works  which  made  it  necessary  to  send  the  order  to  another  plant.    It  was  the 

fact    that  with   the    present    equipment   he   moved    650,000   cubic   yards    in    February,    which    gave    Mr.    Stevens 

confidence    this    amount    could    be    increased    to    1,000,000    tons    a    month    as    soon    as    the   additional   cars   were 

received. 

Railroad  tracks  in  the  cut  were  as  thick  as  in  a  railroad  yard.  Every  bench  or  level  held  one  or  more 
tracks.  As  they  looked  down  upon  the  moving  trains,  saw  the  puffing  steam  of  the  shovels  and  listened  to  the 
clatter  and  roar  punctuated  at  frequent  intervals  by  the  boom  of  the  blast,  the  visitors  were  prepared  for  some 
figures  which  Mr.  Stevens  obtained  from  his  Division  Engineer,  in  charge  of  the  work  in  the  Cut,  Mr.  Bolick. 
The  statement  which  Mr.  Bolick  gave  to  the  Chief  in  the  presence  of  members  of  the  Clubs  showed  that,  as 
they  looked  on,  there  were  working  in  the  Culebra  Cut: 


3  Steam  shovels  of  the  45-ton  class,  with  l-}4  cu.  yd.  buckets. 
21  Steam  shovels  of  the  70-ton  class,  with  2-^  cu.  yd.  buckets. 
29  Steam  shovels  of  the  95-ton  class,  with  5  cu.  yd.  buckets. 
Altogether,  the  steam  shovels  made  an  array  of  fifty-three. 

The  locomotives  in  service  numbered  eighty-two  American  and  twenty-nine  French,  the  latter  having  been 
bought  in  the  purchase  of  the  canal  plant  and  rebuilt. 

The  cars  in  service  were  299  dump,  of  the  Western  American  make,  743  flat,  of  American  make,  and 
200  dump  of  the  French  pattern.  Right  there  was  illustrated  for  the  visitors  the  difference  in  the  plant  which 
the  United  States  is  employing  as  compared  with  the  almost  obsolete  equipment  sold  by  the  French  when  the 
Canal  was  turned  over.  The  American  dump  cars  carried  twelve  cubic  yards  and  the  flat  cars  carried  eighteen 
cubic  yards  each.  They  were  of  standard  length.  The  capacity  of  the  French  dump  cars,  which  were  shorter, 
was  only  five  cubic  yards.  It  was  a  series  of  object  lessons  such  as  this  which  prompted  one  of  the  Club 
members  to  say  publicly  a  few  hours  later  that  the  visitors  had  found  Mr.  Stevens  and  his  force  doing  in  twelve 
hours  what  the  French  had  not  been  able  to  do  in  two  weeks. 

The  plant  in  operation  in  the  Cut  as  the  party  looked  on  included  eighty-nine  steam  drills,  twenty-three 
wall  drills,  thirty-two  plows,  twelve  unloaders,  thirteen  spreaders.  This  was  the  mechanical  part  of  the  force. 

The  brain  and  muscle  were  represented  in  the 
Cut  by  845  Americans,  2,404  European 
laborers,  2,097  West  Indian  laborers,  and  924 
natives  and  white  foreigners.  Of  such 
elements  were  made  up  the  human  and  the 
mechanical  forces,  digging  the  way  for  nine 
miles. 

Gradually  installing  this  plant  and  placing 
this  human  force  along  the  nine  miles  of 
Canal  proper,  the  Chief  and  his  staff  have 
increased  the  amount  of  "spoil",  as  they  call 
it,  removed  from  the  Cut.  Last  summer  they 
were  digging  and  carrying  away  about  175,000 
cubic  yards  a  month.  In  February,  as  already 
stated,  they  removed  650,000  cubic  yards.  Up 
to  March  1st  the  spoil  taken  out  of  the  Cut 
amounted  to  5,035,500  cubic  yards,  a  very 


Dumping  a  Car  Load  of  Spoil. 


97 


good  beginning  on  the  52,000,000  cubic  yards  to  be  taken  away  in  order  to  give  everywhere  at  least  forty-five 
feet  depth  of  water  in  this  section  of  the  Canal,  and  everywhere  at  least  200  feet  width  at  the  bottom  of  the 
Canal.  A  considerable  part  of  the  nine  miles  of  digging  will  give  forty-five  feet  of  depth  and  more  than  200 
feet  width  of  channel. 

The  bottom  and  some  of  the  benches  or  side  levels  are  now  in  trap  rock,  which  means  harder  work  than 
when  the  shovels  were  in  the  clay  and  shale.  Of  the  566,750  cubic  yards  taken  out  in  January,  the  amount 
of  rock  was  299,292  cubic  yards,  or  fifty-three  per  cent.  To  break  out  this  rock  required  180,965  pounds  of 
explosives,  a  little  more  than  ninety  tons. 

The  plant  for  the  Culebra  work  means  much  more  than  the  tracks  and  machinery  in  operation.  Perched 
upon  the  mountain  tops  and  sides  are  the  hundreds  of  houses  erected  by  the  Commission  for  the  offices  and 
quarters  of  the  people  employed.  And  more  of  these  structures,  novel  to  American  eyes  with  their  supporting 
piers  of  masonry  and  their  screened  porches,  are  in  course  of  erection.  At  Pedro  Miguel  —  the  Americans 
have  anglicized  it  into  Peter  Miguel — which  is  the  terminus  of  the  Culebra  section  of  the  Canal  toward  the 
Pacific  end,  there  is  a  track  yard  with  four  and  one-half  miles  of  track  to  facilitate  the  movement  of  the  trains 
working  in  the  Cut.  Through  this  yard  passed  7,000  cars  in  January.  Near  Bas  Obispo,  which  is  at  the  other 
end  of  the  nine  miles,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  the  nine  miles  and  3,800  feet,  of  the  Cut  work,  is  White  House 
yard,  with  its  three  miles  of  track,  through  which  pass  the  trains  carrying  spoil  northward  to  the  dumping 
places.  In  January  there  were  handled  in  White  House  yard  10,000  cars.  These  figures  are  necessary  to  give 
some  understanding  of  the  magnitude  of  what  is  doing  in  Culebra  Cut.  But  they  are  inadequate.  Only  the 
views  taken  in  succession  through  a  long  Panama  day  could  convey  the  proper  impression  of  what  degree  of 
practical  progress  has  been  reached. 

When  they  had  lunched  and  had  talked  some  time  with  the  Chief  Engineer  and  his  staff  on  the  hill  above 
the  Cut,  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  went  with  Mr.  Stevens  to  Bas  Obispo  and  climbed  upon  flat  cars 
with  covered  tops  and  open  sides  to  proceed  slowly  through  the  entire  section  of  Culebra.  Before  they  started 
upon  this  inspection  the  party  looked  at  some  of  the  plant  which  the  French  turned  over  with  the  Canal  rights 
for  the  $40,000,000.  They  saw  locomotives  and  cars  filling  several  miles  of  track.  Most  of  this  rolling  stock  is 
of  such  diminutive  sizes  as  to  render  it  of  no  further  use.  Such  engines  and  cars  as  can  be  utilized  have  been 
put  in  condition  and  are  being  operated.  Upon  much  of  this  stock  was  the  date,  1886.  What  progress  has 
been  made  in  locomotives  and  cars  in  twenty-one  years  the  comparison  of  the  French  with  the  American  on 
adjacent  tracks  told  impressively.  Much  of  the  French  material  was  of  high  class,  the  American  engineers  and 
machinists  say.  In  some  of  the  discarded  French  locomotives  is  found  $1,000  worth  of  copper.  The  Commission 
has  found  service  for  $800,000  worth  of  iron  and  other  material  turned  over  by  the  French.  But  a  great  deal 
of  what  the  French  left  behind  can  be  of  no  value  whatever  in  the  present  plan  of  construction.  Hundreds  and 

98 


hundreds  of  tons  of  machinery  have  been  shipped  as  scrap  iron  in  ballast  from  Colon  to  the  States  because  no 
use  could  be  found  for  it  on  the  Isthmus.  And  still  there  is  a  wilderness  of  this  machinery  scattered  from  one 
end  to  the  other  of  the  Canal  Zone.  The  enormous  French  dredges  are  to  be  seen  in  the  low  places  at  either 
end  of  the  Canal  route.  They  are  very  complicated  of  construction  and  will  never  lift  a  cubic  yard  of  spoil.  The 
machinists  go  to  the  French  machinery  for  parts  that  can  be  utilized  in  repairs,  but  they  have  abandoned  hope 
of  being  able  to  make  the  French  plant  of  much  account.  A  tangle  of  vines  is  over  the  abandoned  machinery. 
The  jungle  partially  conceals  much  of  this  material.  Trees  of  several  inches  circumference  have  grown  through 
the  dredges.  Several  acres  of  French  locomotives  parked  at  Empire  are  all  but  hidden  by  the  tropical  plants 
along  the  tracks. 

At  Bas  Obispo  the  members  of  the  Clubs  were  shown  how  the  lake  made  by  the  Gatun  Dam  would 
narrow  to  a  width  of  500  feet  as  the  Canal  route  enters  the  more  mountainous  part  of  the  Canal  Zone. 
Where  the  party  took  the  observation  cars  they  found  that  the  bottom  of  the  Canal  work  was  only  seventy-four 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  French  had  left  off  digging  at  the  point  where  they  reached  100  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  work  of  the  Americans  represented  the  lowering  of  the  bottom  from  the  100  feet  level  to  the  seventy-four 
feet  level.  The  excavation  will  go  down  thirty-four  feet  more  to  give  a  depth  of  forty-five  feet  of  water  when 
the  dam  is  built  and  the  lake  filled.  Here  the  Canal  will  have  a  width  of  500  feet  at  the  bottom  for  a  distance 
of  one  and  one-half  miles,  then  narrowing  to  300  feet  for  a  distance  of  four  miles.  As  the  observation  cars 
moved  slowly  into  the  Cut  and  the  walls  rose  higher  and  higher,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  expressed  no 
surprise  that  the  plans  called  for  the  narrowing  of  the  channel.  Where  300  feet  was  sufficient  for 
^h  all  practical  purposes  there  was  no  reason  to  remove  more  of  the  mountain  sides  than 

efficiency  of   the   Canal   demanded.     The   grade  of   the   present    bottom  of    the  work  was 
upward    as   the  'train    proceeded    into    the    Cut.     This   called   for    much    more 
digging  than  at  Bas  Obispo.     Very  soon  the  visitors  were  told    by  Mr.  Stevens 
that  where  the  train  had  halted  they  were  100   feet    above    the   sea   level, 
which  meant  that  the    bottom  would    have  to  go  down  at  least  sixty  feet. 
At  steam  shovel  No.  210,  as  Mr.  Bolick  indicated  the  locality  to  the 
party,  the  visitors  were  told  that  where    they    stood  they  were    just  ninety 
feet  above   sea   level    and    that    the   bottom    must    go   down    fifty   feet 
to  complete. 

A  little  farther  on  was  White  House  bridge.  There  the  bottom  is 
143  feet  above  the  sea,  and  103  feet  more  must  come  out  of  "  the  big 
ditch,"  as  the  Chief  Engineer  occasionally  called  it.  Just  before  reaching 

,  .    ...         ooo     '  -        o  .,       _  ,  _,     . 

steam  shovel  No.  223  Mr.  Stevens  told  the  visitors  they  were  1J1  feet 

99 


The  top  ol  Ih.  dl.idr  -  Culrbti  Cot      Tht  hijhr.t  point.  1.W  (MI. 

uiu  10  be  4»t  MI.  coid  Hiii  >iieii.  lookinc  lowiidi  P.HMM. 


above  the  sea.  He  pointed  to  the  stakes  which  showed  where  the  French  stopped  work  at  196  feet  above  the 
sea.  Here  the  Americans  have  lowered  the  bottom  sixty-five  feet  for  a  distance  of  800  feet.  But  the  Americans 
have  done  a  great  deal  of  digging  which  is  not  shown  in  the  lowering  of  the  bottom.  As  the  French  became 
pressed  for  means  and  felt  the  necessity  of  making  a  showing  on  paper  of  progress  downward,  they  narrowed 
their  workings.  The  Americans,  looking  to  ultimate  completion  of  the  Canal,  with  full  dimensions  as  planned, 
have  taken  a  great  deal  from  the  sides.  For  a  distance  of  two  and  one-half  miles  beyond  White  House  bridge 
is  a  stretch  where  the  bottom  is  165  feet  above  the  sea.  The  Americans  have  not  lowered  the  bottom  in  this 
stretch,  but  they  have  widened  it  from  fifty  feet,  where  the  French  left  the  sides,  to  about  240  feet.  Before 
reaching  Gold  Hill  the  illustration  of  this  widening  work  was  pointed  out.  The  Americans  have  taken  off  from 
three  to  five  cuttings  with  the  steam  shovels  on  each  level,  or  bench.  Each  cutting  represents  a  width  of  forty 
feet.  The  members  of  the  Clubs  stopped  repeatedly  to  observe  the  operation  of  the  shovels.  They  saw  the 
teeth  of  the  buckets  sink  deep  into  the  mountain  side,  bringing  out  dirt  and  rock  from  two  to  five  cubic  yards 
at  a  bite.  They  timed  the  rapid  movement  of  the  machinery  and  saw  the  spoil  go  into  the  car  at  the  rate  of 
four  or  five  buckets  in  two  minutes.  They  saw  a  train  of  ten  cars  loaded  in  less  than  half  an  hour.  They  saw  the 
device,  which  in  half  an  hour  moves  200  feet  of  railroad  track  between  three  and  four  feet.  As  the  work  progresses 
the  tracks  must  be  shifted.  Not  infrequently  a  mile  of  track  must  be  moved  into  new  position  within  a  single  day. 

A  little  distance  beyond  Culebra  station  the  party  stood  on  the  backbone  of  the  Western  Hemisphere  at 
its  weakest  vertebra.  Here  the  bottom  of  the  Canal  will  be  127  feet  below  the  present  level,  which  is  167  feet 
above  the  sea.  On  one  side  of  the  Canal  Cut  is  Gold  Hill,  and  on  the  other  side  is  Contractors'  Hill.  In  the 
gap  between  these  hills  was  the  highest  level  above  the  sea,  325  feet,  when  the  French  began  to  dig.  The 
French  made  a  narrow  cut  of  considerable  depth,  but  what  they  did  was  only  a  small  part  of  the  total  excavation 
necessary.  Here  the  Americans  have  widened  the  Cut.  Gold  Hill  at  the  summit  is  600  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  Hill  opposite  is  450  feet  above  the  sea.  The  greatest  amount  of  spoil  to  be  moved  is  in  this  part  of 
Culebra  Cut.  But  the  problem  is  only  one  of  moving  dirt  and  rock,  the  engineers  explained.  Beyond  Gold  Hill 
the  slope  of  the  country  and  the  slope  of  the  workings  is  toward  the  Pacific.  The  amount  to  be  taken  out 
lessens  rapidly  as  Pedro  Miguel  is  approached. 

The  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  were  interested  in  a  comparison  of  the  Suez  and  Panama  canals  as 
regards  width  and  depth.  The  Suez  Canal,  the  engineers  said,  has  a  depth  of  thirty  feet  and  a  minimum  width, 
at  the  bottom,  of  108  feet.  The  Panama  Canal  will  have  a  minimum  width,  at  the  bottom,  of  200  feet,  but 
that  is  for  only  a  few  miles  in  the  heaviest  work  of  the  Culebra  Cut.  For  the  short  distance  through  lighter 
work  in  the  Culebra  Cut  the  width  will  be  300  feet,  but  for  most  of  the  route  of  the  Canal  the  width  will  be 
500  feet  or  more.  The  minimum  depth  of  the  Panama  Canal  will  be  forty-one  feet,  but  for  the  greater  part  of 
the  route  the  depth  will  be  forty-five  feet  or  more. 

101 


The    members    of    the    Commercial    Clubs    completed    the    trip       On  Calun  HMI-A  st«m  shovci^workinu  in  day  on  the  site  of 
through    Culebra    Cut    with    Mr.    Stevens    and   his    staff    late    in    the       ^^^^ 
afternoon  and  spent  the  night  at  the  Tivoli  Hotel,  just  out  of  Panama 
far  enough  to  bring  them  within  the  Canal  Zone. 

In  the  evening  the  Clubs  gave  a  reception  in  the  parlors  of 
the  Tivoli  to  Mr.  Stevens  and  150  officials  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission  and  of  the  Republic  of  Panama.  The  occasion  was 
rendered  memorable  and  interesting  by  the  comments  of  the  members 
of  the  Clubs  on  what  they  had  seen  during  the  day,  but  especially 
by  the  tributes  paid  to  the  Chief  Engineer  and  his  organization,  and 
the  speech  of  Mr.  Stevens  in  response. 

Mr.  Whitelaw,  president  of  the  Commercial  Club  of   St.  Louis,  presided 
over  a  gathering  which   included  nearly  every  man  of  prominence  in  the  Canal  organization 

on  the  Isthmus,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  having  as  their  guests  President  Amador,  and  Secretary  of  State 
Arias  of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  the  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Panama,  Senor  Osa,  and  other  officials  of  the 
Republic.  A  toast  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  proposed  by  President  Amador  and  was  received 
with  enthusiasm.  The  Secretary  of  State  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  spoke  in  a  patriotic  strain.  President 
Whitelaw,  for  the  visitors,  said: 

"We  in  the  States  are  very  much  interested  in  this  Canal,  and  we  want  to  show  our  friends  who  are  assembled  here  tonight, 
our  guests  on  the  Isthmus,  that  we  are  here,  we  think,  to  help  in  this  project.  We  are,  as  you  say,  out  'on  the  firing  line'  to  inspect 
what  you  are  doing,  and  I  want  to  say  we  are  surprised  at  what  has  been  accomplished.  We  believe  there  is  no  difficulty  whatever 
about  the  consummation  of  this  great  work.  It  requires  only  time,  money  and  brains.  We  feel  that  you  are  as  much  engaged  in  a  work 
of  patriotism,  a  work  for  the  glory  of  the  flag,  as  if  you  were  on  the  battlefield,  and  we  want  you  to  know  that  we  propose  to  stand  by 
you  and  uphold  your  hands  in  every  way  we  can.  We  are  much  pleased  to  think  that  we  have  patriotic  citizens  of  the  United  States 
such  as  you  whom  we  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  here  this  evening,  and  who  are  willing  to  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheel  and 
carry  forward  this  great  work.  I  think  President  Roosevelt  was  right  when  he  said  that  the  persons  who  have  any  part  in  this  great 
work  will  be  recognized  when  the  work  is  finished,  and  that  their  names  will  be  on  the  roll  of  honor  just  as  much  as  if  they  had  been 
soldiers  in  the  United  States  Army  in  the  time  of  war. 

"I  now  desire  to  call  upon  and  to  introduce  to  you  the  man  behind  the  gun,  Mr.  John  F.  Stevens." 

There  was  great  cheering  when  Mr.  Whitelaw  introduced  the  Chief  Engineer  as  the  "man  behind  the 
gun.  "  Mr.  Stevens  said  : 

"We  have  had  a  great  many  visitors  come  here  during  the  past  two  years,  and  they  have  come  from  many  different  motives. 
Some  have  come  here  in  a  friendly  way  to  offer  advice  or  criticism.  Some,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  have  come  with  unfair  motives,  and 
some,  who  have  come  to  scoff,  have  remained  to  praise.  But  I  think  the  greatest  compliment  to  us  who  are  doing  this  work  has  been 
the  visit  we  are  now  enjoying.  When  we  recall  that  a  body  of  100  business  men  from  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States  have 

102 


THE  TIVOLI  HOTEL 
A  view  from  the  Avenue  of  Palms  on  Ancon  Hill  looking  East  to  Panama  Bay. 


taken  their  valuable  time  to  see  for  themselves  what  we  are  doing,  I  think  we  all  ought  to  feel  complimented.  I  do  myself,  and  I 
think  every  man  here  does.  We  want  you  to  see  everything  there  is  to  see,  and  we  are  sorry  you  cannot  remain  longer.  We  have 
done  the  best  we  could,  working  under  discouraging  circumstances.  The  greatest  obstacle  was  climate,  but  I  think  that  we  recognize 
now  that  this  is  at  least  as  healthy  a  place  as  the  majority  of  us  come  from.  I  lived  three  years  in  the  Southern  States,  and  I  think 
that  the  health  conditions  here  today  are  far  better  than  they  were  where  I  lived  and  worked  during  those  years.  This  great  work  of 
sanitation  has  been  accomplished  by  our  sanitary  department.  The  labor  problem  has  been  a  great  one,  but  we  have  gradually 
overcome  it.  As  for  the  work  we  have  done,  you  can  see  for  yourselves.  I  am  remined  of  a  story  of  a  lonely  grave  way  back  in  the 
hills  over  which  was  a  headstone,  upon  which  was  the  inscription.  '  He  done  his  damnedest ;  the  angels  could  not  do  more.  ' 
We  have  done  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of,  and  many  things  to  be  proud  of." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  remarks  of  the  Chief  Engineer  the  cheering  was  repeated  again  and  again.  Mr. 
Elihu  Thomson,  the  distinguished  electrical  engineer,  and  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston,  followed 
with  a  brief  talk,  enthusiastic  in  commendation  of  what  had  been  seen  and  heard  during  the  day.  Mr. 
Thomson  said  : 

"  I  must  say  that  our  trip  today  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  incidents  that  we  can  look  back  to  in  our  lives.  I  think  I  express 
the  thought  of  every  member  of  the  Clubs  who  came  to  visit  the  Canal,  that  a  more  interesting  day  has  never  been  spent  by  any  of  us. 
And  the  chief  interest  is,  to  see  what  the  men  who  are  at  work  on  the  Isthmus  have  accomplished. 

"  It  is  one  thing  to  have  the  machinery  to  do  work.  It  is  necessary  to  have  that.  But  with  all  the  machinery  you  may  have 
you  cannot  accomplish  an  undertaking  unless  the  men  are  there  to  do  the  work,  and  it  is  to  these  men,  who  are  carrying  on  this 
gigantic  enterprise,  the  greatest  perhaps  ever  undertaken  by  any  civilized  nation,  that  we  look  with  sympathy  and  with  appreciation.  We 
came  here  and  found  a  great  enterprise  organized 
on  the  most  substantial  basis,  progressing  as  we 
could  not  have  hoped  to  see  it  progress,  and 
showing  the  success  of  that  organization  by  what 
has  been  accomplished  in  the  past.  The  members 
of  our  party  are  connected  with  engineering  and 
other  large  enterprises,  and  we  look  upon  these 
matters  from  a  business  standpoint ;  we  can 
appreciate  with  the  greatest  sympathy  the  work  that 
the  engineers  and  other  men  who  are  working  at 
this  problem  are  doing.  That  the  Canal  will  be 
finished  is  an  assured  fact,  and  I  am  certain  that  it 
will  be  finished  in  our  lifetimes.  It  is  a  grand 
enterprise.  It  is  the  union  between  an  insulated 


ocean — I  am  speaking  now  electrically  —  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  as  insulated  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
You  are  trying  to  put  a  puncture  through  that 
insulation.  This  will  be  accomplished  ;  the  insulation 

,  ,       ,  .    ,  ON  BOARD  THE  SPECIAL  TRAIN 

will  he  punctured  by  hich  pressure  from  behind,  and  we 

From  lelt   lo   right:     Silting   it   the    windowi-  John    F.    Stereni  (Chief    Engineerl.    Darid  R.    Francli. 

Shall    have     a    great    highway   between    the   two   Oceans  Standing— L.  D.  Doziel,  Arnold  Shanklin   i.U.  S.  Coniul  General'.  Stephen  I.    Bartlelt. 

105 


through  which   will   pass   the   commerce   of   the  world.     We   cannot   prophesy   what      in  the  Trap  Rock  — A  section  of  the  Canal  at  Bas  obispo, 

...  •  where  the  excavation  is  down  to  the  stratum 

that   commerce   will    amount  to.     It   may    be  that   after  the  Canal    is    finished    we  which  must  be  drilled  and  blasted, 

shall    find    some    day   that   it   is   too    small,    and  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  off 
another  slice  to  make  it  larger. 

"Now  as  to  the  nature  of  the  enterprise;  we  came  here,  many  of  us, 
imagining  the  possibility  that  a  sea-level  Canal  would  perhaps  be  better.  I,  for  my 
part,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  engineers  were  right  and  that  the  lock 
Canal  is  the  thing ;  that  it  is  the  only  thing  :  I  have  entirely  given  up  the  sea- 
level  idea. 

"  I  know  that  the  enterprise  will  succeed.  It  must  succeed,  and  when  it  has 
succeeded  the  great  nation  to  which  we  belong  will  have  accomplished  the  greatest 
engineering  work  the  world  has  ever  seen.  " 

The  concluding  speech  on  the  formal  program  of  the  evening 
was  by  Mr.  David  R.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Francis  said: 

"This  undertaking  which  we  have  come  here  to  inspect  is  an  unprecedented  one  in  the  history  of  our  country.  A  great  many 
years  ago  a  distinguished  Kentuckian,  Henry  Clay,  with  a  numerous  following,  advocated  the  construction  of  national  highways  at  the 
expense  of  the  general  government.  Later  Congress  made  appropriations  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  transcontinental  railway.  But 
never,  until  the  beginning  of  this  Canal  project,  has  our  government  undertaken  any  work  beyond  its  own  borders. 

"I  think  I  express  the  sentiment  of  all  of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  regardless  of  political  affiliations,  when  I  say  that  this 
project  has,  from  its  inception,  met  the  hearty  approval  of  all  public-spirited  citizens  of  our  country.  In  fact,  the  thoughtful  men  of  the 
United  States  saw  no  escape  from  our  government  and  our  country  undertaking  the  work  of  uniting  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  by 
a  Canal  across  this  Isthmus. 

"Over  a  hundred  years  ago  we  announced  to  the  world  our  definition  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine.  We  said  to  the  nations  of 
Europe  and  of  all  the  world  that  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  any  foreign  country  acquiring  any  additional  territory  or  jurisdiction  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere.  Having  taken  that  position,  and  it  having  met  with  enthusiastic  response  from  every  quarter  of  our  country, 
and  from  every  generation  since  Monroe,  there  was  no  alternative  left  to  us  but  to  assist  the  people  of  this  hemisphere  who  were  affected 
by  it.  We  said  to  Europe:  'You  cannot  purchase  territory  here."  We  could  not  stand  back  and  say  'We  will  not  buy  territory,'  and, 
'We  will  not  help  the  people  of  Central  and  South  America  to  develop  their  territory.'  It  was  incumbent  upon  us,  as  a  duty  we  owed 
to  the  people  of  the  Western  Hemisphere,  to  promote  the  interests  of  that  hemisphere.  As  an  element  in  this  we  felt  that  the 
United  States  should  control  the  Canal  that  unites  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  When  France  secured  the  right  to  build 
the  Panama  Canal  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  determined  that  it  would  construct  another  Canal,  across  Nicaragua.  The  French 
people — and  I  say  it  to  their  credit  —  feeling  that  the  interests  of  the  commerce  of  the  world,  if  not  the  interests  of  the  human  race, 
demanded  that  the  two  great  oceans  should  be  connected,  and  feeling  that  two  Canals  could  not  be  constructed  at  the  same  time,  said  to 
the  United  States,  '  We  will  sell  you  the  Panama  Canal.'  There  was  nothing  left  to  do  but  to  purchase  it.  They  sold  us  the  Panama 
Canal,  in  my  judgment,  at  a  bargain.  The  forty  millions  of  dollars  we  paid  for  the  Canal  was  the  best  investment  of  a  commercial 
character  the  United  States  ever  made.  The  work  we  have  seen  today  not  only  demonstrates  the  truth  of  what  I  have  said,  but  also 
establishes  the  fact  that  the  French  are  entitled  to  great  credit  for  the  work.  If  we  were  placed  back  twenty-five  years  and  were 
compelled  to  rely  upon  the  machinery  in  use  at  that  time  we  could  not  have  accomplished  in  one  week,  or  in  two  weeks,  the  work  that 
Mr.  Stevens  and  his  assistants  accomplish  today  in  twelve  hours. 

106 


"I  think  this  Canal  will  enable  our  country  —  and  by  our  country  I  mean  the  United  Stales  of  America — to  acquire  and  retain 
what  it  should  have  acquired  years  before  this,  and  that  is  the  commerce  of  Central  and  South  America.  We  should  not  be  compelled 
to  send  our  mail  to  South  and  Central  America  by  way  of  England  or  other  European  countries.  When  the  Canal  is  completed  we 
shall  have  direct  lines  of  steamers  to  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  through  the  Canal,  as  well  as  to  the  eastern  coast.  And,  in  my 
judgment,  it  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the  commercial  value  of  the  Panama  Canal.  I  am  sure  every  citizen  of  the  United  States 
now  upon  this  Isthmus,  whether  engaged  upon  this  work,  or  a  visitor,  cannot  but  feel  his  heart  swell  with  pride  that  this  great  work 
was  undertaken  by  the  American  Republic.  I  have  little  patience  with  men  who  are  always  looking  for  some  ground  upon  which  to 
criticise  a  public  enterprise.  I  think  that  men  administering  government  and  performing  public  work  are  always  entitled  to  the  impartial 
judgment  of  the  citizens  of  their  country.  I  have  little  patience  with  visitors  who  come  to  the  Isthmus  with  their  minds  made  up  to 
find  something  to  criticise.  What  we  wish  to  do  is  to  have  this  work  completed  in  a  workmanlike  manner  and  in  the  most 
expeditious  way  possible.  I  am  sure,  at  the  same  time,  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  will  have  no  patience  with  any  policy  or  effort 
to  make  the  construction  of  this  Isthmian  Canal  a  political  agency. 

"I  feel  that  I  would  be  unjust  to  my  own  feelings  if  I  failed  to  express  my  thoughts  concerning  another  feature  of  this  work,  and 
I  wish  to  say  that  I  speak  for  myself  alone.  I  believe  it  !s  a  great  misfortune  for  the  success  of  this  work  that  the  man  in  charge  for 
two  years  past  has  derided  to  sever  his  connection.  One  of  the  most  difficult  parts  of  any  work  to  perform,  especially  a  work  of  the 
character  of  this,  is  the  formation  of  an  organization,  the  building  up  of  a  working  force.  It  is  just  as  necessary  to  form  such  an 
organization  before  beginning  the  work  as  it  is  to  take  good  sight  with  one  of  the  large  guns  upon  a  man-of-war  before  firing.  The 
man  in  charge  realized  the  necessity  for  such  a  policy.  My  observation  is  that  the  two  years  have  been  wisely  spent.  Not  only  has  a 
working  organization  been  formed,  but  much  good  physical  work  has  been  done.  But  although  an  organization  may  be  formed,  and  all 
the  modern  machinery  and  supplies  secured  and  put  at  work,  there  must  still  be  an  esprit  It  corps  in  the  men  performing  the  work. 
That  esprit  dt  corps,  we  find  existing  here,  but  not,  I  fear,  with  the  same  enthusiasm  that  characterized  it  forty-eight  hours  ago.  The 
personality  of  an  organizer  and  leader  is  a  great  factor  in  any  work,  and  while  it  may  be  replaced  in  this  instance,  and  possibly 
improved  upon  —  which  I  extremely  doubt  —  I  still  think  the  risk  is  too  great  to  have  made  the  change.  I  know  nothing  about  the 
reasons  which  brought  about  this  change,  and  I  am  only  giving  expression  to  sentiments  which  I  cherish  and  the  thoughts  that  come 
up  in  my  mind.  If  the  change  was  brought  about  by  the  government  in  Washington,  it,  perhaps,  is  wiser  than  we  are,  but  I  still  say 
that  I  believe  the  promotion  of  this  work  could  have  been,  better  effected  without  a  change  at  this  time.  If  the  change  is  the  result  of 
the  volition  of  the  man  himself  I  think  —  and  I  say  it  in  his  presence  —  that  he  has  made  a  mistake.  I  think  he  has  missed  an 
opportunity  of  building  to  himself  a  monument  that  would  go  down  through  ages  to  come,  a  heritage  for  his  children,  of  which  they 
and  their  children  and  their  children's  children  should  be  justly  proud. 

"  There  is  only  one  other  thought  that  I  wish  to  express  on  this  occasion,  and  that  is  this:  no  one  can  visit  the  people  of  Central 
and  South  America  as  I   have  within  the  past  sixty  days  without  being  impressed  with  their  hospitality  and  their 
kind-heartedness  and  with  their  general  good  feeling  toward  all  people  who  visit  them.     This  enterprise  has  the 
good-will  of  all  the  people  of  Central  and  South  America.     I  may  say  here,  fearing 
that  I  omitted   to   say  it  earlier,  that   I    am   sure  the   people  of   Central   and   South 
America  do  not   mistake  what   we   mean    by   the   Monroe   Doctrine.     We   have  no 
desire  or  intention  of  colonizing  the  countries  of  Central   and  South   America.     We 
wish  to  have  them   maintain   their   independence   with   the   form  of  government  they 
have   adopted,   which  form   is  fashioned   after   our  own.     I   am   sure  the   people  of 
Central    and   South    America   will    have  no  thought  that  the  people  of  the    United  A  riew  throucb  Culcbn  Cut. 

107 


States  has  any  idea  of  annexing  or  subjugating  them.  Their  hospitality  is  well  known,  and  we  who  have  visited  them  have  seen  that 
the  reputation  they  enjoy  in  that  regard  is  well  deserved. 

"I  think  I  express  the  sentiments  of  all  of  the  members  of  this  party  when  I  say  to  the  President  of  Panama  that  we  appeciate 
the  cordiality  of  our  reception.  We  shall  do  ourselves  the  honor  of  making  a  formal  call  upon  him  tomorrow.  While  we  are  not 
delegated  to  make  any  formal  expression  I  am  sure  he  will  appreciate  the  force  of  what  we  say  when  we  express  to  him  our  appreciation 
of  the  good-will  and  assistance  the  people  of  Panama  have  rendered  toward  this  great  Canal  enterprise. 

"We  thank  you  for  your  presence  here  this  evening." 

From  the  grand  parlor  of  the  Tivoli,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  more  formal  program  of  the  evening,  Mr. 
Whitelaw,  of  St.  Louis,  the  presiding  officer  of  the  evening,  and  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Cincinnati,  chairman  of  the 
committee  in  charge  of  the  evening  reception  and  supper,  led  the  way  to  the  dining  room.  The  members  of 
the  Clubs  were  the  hosts.  Their  guests  were  the  officials  of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  the  heads  of  departments 
of  the  Canal  Commission,  the  diplomatic  and  consular  corps  of  Panama,  the  representative  business  men  of 
Panama.  Seated  about  many  small  tables  in  the  spacious  dining  room,  the  hosts  mingled  with  their  guests.  A 
buffet  supper  was  served,  after  which  Mr.  Whitelaw  happily  introduced  several  of  the  guests.  Entertaining  and 
mirth-provoking  were  the  impromtu  talks. 

Among  those  called  upon  was  Mr.  Edward  J.  Williams,  head  of  the  Financial  Department  of  the 
Commmission.  Mr.  Williams  said: 

"Mr.  Chairman,  Friends  and  Neighbors,  Members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Beer-making  St.  Louis  and  Cincinnati,  Bean-eating 
Boston,  and  last,  but  not  least,  dear  old  Chicago,  the  home  of  the  Fastidious  Pork  Sausage: 

"Mr.  Chairman:  It  strikes  me  that  it  is  most 
unfair  of  you  to  so  unexpectedly  call  on  me  this 
evening,  especially  as  this  is  the  first  day  of  the  month 
and  has  been  pay-day,  I  being  called  upon  in  my 
official  capacity  several  thousand  times  today  (however 
this  is  the  only  time  when  I  have  not  been  prepared) 
by  the  honest,  efficient  men  whom  you  have  seen 
working  with  such  energy  and  so  intelligently  on  this, 
the  greatest  piece  of  work  ever  attempted  by  human 
hands.  They  seem  to  heed  not  in  the  least  the 
statements  of  one  Poultice  Biglies,  made  by  him,  no 
doubt,  in  order  to  make  a  dime  magazine  a  success,  in 
which  he  called  them  grafters  and  incompetents,  unable 
to  secure  positions  in  the  States ;  but  judging  from  their 
actions,  should  he  ever  visit  this  Isthmus  again  he  had 
better  have  a  delegation  of  friends  on  hand  to 

Where  the  two  men  are  standing  was  the  bottom    level    in    Culebra  Cut   which    the    French    company     identify   his   remains. 

reached.      The  motor  car  is  on  a  level  sixty-five  feet  lower  which  represents  the  .  .    .  •_!_»•. 

dijginz  done  by  the  United  States  in  this  section  of  Culebra  Cut.  A  great  deal  has  been  said  here  tonight  about 

108 


the  progress  the  United  States  has  made  on  the  Isthmus  since  its  occupation,  but  to  my  way  of  thinking  if  not  the  most;  certainly  one 
of  the  most  noticeable  things  has  been  overlooked.  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  Colonel  Gorgas  has  trimmed  a  few  mosquitoes,  that 
Bolick  and  his  light  opera  troupe  have  broken  all  yardage  records  at  Culebra  Cut,  that  Colonel  Tom  Cooke  has  stamped  a  few  well 
filled  caskets,  but  they  don't  look  so  much  when  you  stop  to  think  how  \V.  G.  Bierd  has  changed  the  Panama  Railroad  from  two 
streaks  of  rust,  connecting  the  "Crab-eaten  Sea"  with  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  a  few  French  tea-kettles  into  a  modern,  thoroughly 
equipped  railroad  with  a  grand  roadbed,  all  trains  running  on  time  and  very  comfortable,  such  as  you  rode  upon  today. 

"But  to  return  to  the  pay:  There  are  some  who  are  listless  and  some  who  are  ashamed  to  take  the  money,  but  we  are 
ashamed  when  we  find  that  we  are  able  to  hand  one  such  a  small  stipend  as  is  allowed  by  our  government,  when  already  by  hi* 
management  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  saved,  and  by  the  completion  of  the  Canal,  with  the  policies  being  carried  out  that  are  in 
vogue  and  the  new  ones  that  are  continually  being  invented,  I  miss  my  prediction  if  millions  are  not  saved.  This  is  all  due  to  the 
grand  man  whom  we  have  learned  to  love,  whose  lack  of  frills  and  whose  hearty  co-operation  have  endeared  him  to  all,  and  we  have 
just  learned  with  the  deepest  regret  that  he  is  to  leave.  I  refer  to  our  beloved  Chief  Engineer. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you.  ' 

When  the  applause  which  followed  Mr.  Williams'  happy  remarks  had  subsided,  Mr.  Whitelaw  called  upon 
Mr.  Jackson  Smith,  who  has  charge  of  the  Labor  and  the  Commissary  Department  of  the  Commission.  Mr. 
Smith  responded : 

"The  Chairman  promised  that  he  would  not  call  on  me,  he  said  that  I  had  done  so  many  things  so  well  that  he  would  let  me 
off  on  this  one.  We  have,  as  the  chairman  has  stated,  thirty  thousand  men  ;  we  have  thirty-five  thousand.  We  have  the  force  here  that 
can  do  the  work  if  they  will  give  us  the  money  and  not  tie  our  hands  in  Washington.  The  personnel  is  here  to  dig  the  Canal,  and 
it  cannot  be  improved  on.  We  have  five  thousand  Americans  here  on  this  work  that  are  second  to  no  Americans,  to  no  men,  on  the 
face  of  God's  green  earth.  The  laborers,  the  men  who  are  actually  digging  the  Canal,  we  are  bringing  from  the  four  quarters  of  the 
earth;  but  it  makes  no  difference  where  they  come  from,  the  Americans  here  will  make  a  success  of  them.  " 


Hotpilil  buildinfi  on  Anton  Hill  II  the  P«cl»c  Occin  Irrainm  ol  Ik*  Clnil. 
109 


Colonel  Gorgas,  head  of  the  Sanitary  Department,  who  had  been  called  upon  earlier  in  the  evening,  but 
who  had  been  detained  elsewhere,  was  discovered  in  the  dining  room  surrounded  by  members  of  the  Commercial 
Clubs.  President  Whitelaw  promptly  brought  him  to  his  feet  by  a  timely  allusion  to  the  excellent  work  of 
himself  and  staff  on  the  Isthmus.  Colonel  Gorgas  said  in  part : 

"We  are  glad  to  have  you  here  and  to  have  you  see  the  sanitary  work  that  has  been  done.  We  take  the  ground  that  we 
are  now  building  the  Canal  with  as  little  loss  from  sickness  as  could  be  done  in  most  of  the  Southern  States.  We  take  great  pride  in 
saying  this,  as  we  believe  it  is  a  compliment  to  the  Sanitary  Department.  I  hope  the  Clubs  will  come  here  in  two  or  three  years 
from  now,  when  we  shall  be  able  to  say  that  the  Canal  has  been  practically  built.  " 

Sitting  at  the  table  with  the  Chief  Engineer  was  W.  G.  Bierd,  General  Manager  Panama  Railroad.  When 
called  upon,  Mr.  Bierd  said : 

"There  is  practically  only  one  question  in  our  minds  tonight,  and  I  am  afraid  to  trust  myself  to  speak  on  that  subject.  Our 
feelings  toward  our  Chief  and  our  appreciation  of  his  splendid  qualities  have  been  voiced  by  those  who  are  much  better  able  to  define 
them  than  myself.  But  since  we  must  undergo  this  deplorable  experience,  and  our  Chief,  in  obedience  to  his  own  judgment,  by  his 
3wn  choice  and  by  his  own  wishes,  has  decided  to  make  this  move,  I  ask  you  fellow  employees  to  join  me  in  wishing  him  Godspeed.  " 

The  devotion  of  the  Canal  officials  to  their  Chief  was  further  expressed  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Belding,  Master 
Builder,  who  said: 

I  am  a  little  too  full  for  utterance  just  now.  I  do  not  know  what  I  can  say  in  addition  to  what  has  been  expressed  by  those 
who  have  preceded  me.  I  know  there  is  a  vein  of  sadness  running  through  the  heart  of  every  employee  of  the  Canal  Commission 
tonight  which  has  come  about  because  our  Chief  is  to  leave  us.  I  know  of  nothing  that  has  happened  that  has  affected  the  employees 
of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  so  deeply  as  that  news.  However,  I  feel  that  I  owe  certain  duties  to  the  United  States  Government, 
and  whether  I  remain  on  the  Isthmus  twenty-four  hours  or  twenty-four  years,  whoever  my  superior  officer  may  be,  I  shall  endeavor  to 
give  him  the  same  loyalty  that  I  believe  I  have  given  to  Mr.  Stevens.  I  have  been  very  close  to  the  Chief  Engineer  during  my 
connection  with  this  work,  and  I  am  proud  to  say  (and  I  think  I  voice  the  sentiments  of  every  employee  on  the  Isthmus)  I  have  never 
known  a  man  for  whom  I  have  a  higher  regard  than  I  have  for  Mr.  Stevens,  and  I  am  certainly  sorry  to  see  him  leave.  " 

Colonel  Tom  M.  Cooke,  in  charge  of  the  Customs  on  the  Canal  Zone,  and  H.  D.  Reed,  Executive 
Secretary,  representing  the  civil  government,  closed  the  speaking. 

Not  the  soft,  dreamy  strains  of  Latin-America,  but  the  vigorous,  inspiring  music  of  the  States,  accompanied 
the  hearty  enthusiasm  of  the  evening  at  the  Tivoli.  Somebody  asked  the  American  Consul-General  about  the 
players. 

"That,"  said  Mr.  Shanklin,  "is  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  Band.  The  leader  plays  the  snare  drum 
and  gets  $15,000  a  year.  The  trombone  is  played  by  a  man  who  is  paid  $15  a  week,  and  the  clarionet  receives 
fifteen  cents  an  hour." 

Then  the  Consul-General  cleared  up  the  mystery  by  explaining  that  the  Canal  Band  was  a  volunteer 
organization,  recruited  from  the  musical  talent  found  in  the  force  from  top  to  labor.  The  leader  is  Mr.  Maltby, 
one  of  the  principal  engineers,  and  his  instrument  is  the  snare  drum.  The  office  force,  and  even  the  labor  ranks 
are  drawn  upon  to  make  the  quota  of  instruments. 

no 


AT  THE  SITE  OF  THE   SOSA  DAM 
Chief  Engineer  Stevens  pointing  out  the  route  of  the  Canal  on  the  Pacific  side. 

On   the   left:      Lucien   Wulsin,    Collins  Thompson    (Official   Stenographer),   L.   D.    Dozier,    Walker  Hill,  D.    B.  Meacham.       In  the 

center:     Martin  A.  Ryerjon,  John  F.  Stevens  (Chief  Engineer).     On  the  right:      D.  B.  Gamble,  John  W.  Warrington, 

C.   L.    Hutchinson,   Oscar  L.   Whitelaw,    Hanford   Crawford,    Frank    J.   Jones,   Chas.    S.   Dennison. 


An  interesting  incident  of  the  visit  to  Panama  was  a  dinner 
given  by  the  American  Minister  and  Mrs.  Squiers.  The  guests  from 
the  Commercial  Clubs  were  David  R.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  John  V. 
Farwell,  Jr.,  of  Chicago,  Rolla  Wells,  Mayor  of  St.  Louis,  and  W.  K. 
Bixby,  of  St.  Louis.  The  other  guests  were  the  President  and  Mrs. 
Amador,  the  Secretary  of  State  and  Mrs.  Arias,  of  the  Republic  of 
Panama;  Mr.  Stevens,  Chief  Engineer;  Colonel  Perkins,  commanding 
the  U.  S.  Marines  on  the  Isthmus,  the  American  Consul-General, 
Arnold  Shanklin ;  the  Secretary  of  the  American  Legation,  Mr.  Sands, 
and  the  Secretary  to  the  Minister,  Mr.  May.  The  dinner  preceded 
immediately  the  reception  at  the  Tivoli,  Mr.  Francis  and  his  fellow 
guests  from  the  Clubs  escorting  President  Amador  to  the  reception. 

The  distance  across  the  Isthmus  by  rail  is  about  forty-seven  miles.  To  provide  the  yard  room,  the  turnouts 
into  the  dumps  and  the  parallel  tracks  on  the  different  levels  in  the  Cut  means  the  construction  and  continuous 
use  of  269  miles  of  running  track,  including  the  main  line.  The  sidings  represent  160  miles  of  track.  When 
the  big  Dam  is  ready  it  will  be  necessary  to  move  the  Panama  Railroad  from  its  old  location  between  Gatun 
and  Pedro  Miguel,  to  the  side  of  the  Lake.  This  means  a  new  route  almost  the  entire  distance  across  the 
Isthmus,  and  in  places  several  miles  from  the  present  line.  The  old  road  will  be  from  seven  to  seventy  feet 
under  water.  The  new  road  will  skirt  the  east  side  of  Gatun  Lake  from  five  to  ten  feet  above  the  water  level. 

The  second  day,  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  accompanied  Chief  Engineer  Stevens  and  his  staff  over 
the  Pacific  section  of  the  Canal  route.  The  first  day  they  saw  and  examined,  so  far  as  the  progressing  work 
could  inform  them,  two  of  what  President  Roosevelt  called  the  "three  big  problems,"  the  Gatun  Dam  and  the 
Culebra  Cut.  The  second  day  was  in  part  devoted  to  the  remaining  problem  —  the  Lake  and  the  Dam  of  the 
Pacific  end  of  the  Canal.  A  member  of  the  Commercial  Clubs,  Mr.  Dwight,  of  Boston,  after  going  over  the 
route,  said:  "The  new  waterway  is  not  strictly  speaking  a  Canal;  it  is  to  be,  by  a  svstem  of  locks,  principally 
two  lakes  through  which  the  steamers  can  go  at  good  speed.' 

The  Canal  begins,  at  Pedro  Miguel,  to  make  its  descent  from  the  mountain  level,  eighty-five  feet  above 
the  sea.  A  lock  1,400  feet  long,  350  feet  wide,  and  seventy-five  feet  deep  will  lower  vessels  at  Pedro  Miguel 
thirty  feet  to  La  Boca  Lake,  which  will  have  a  level  of  fifty-five  feet  above  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  Rio  Grande 
River  is  swallowed  by  La  Boca  Lake  just  as  the  Chagres  is  taken  into  Gatun  Lake.  The  Rio  Grande  is  much 
smaller  than  the  Chagres.  La  Boca  Lake  will  furnish  about  five  miles  of  the  Canal  route.  This  lake  is  created 
by  the  building  of  two  dams  at  Sosa  Hill,  almost  on  the  Pacific  ocean's  edge.  These  dams  will  flood  a  marshy 
valley  through  which  the  French  had  dredged  the  Pacific  end  of  their  Canal,  and  where  some  of  the  abandoned 

HI 


dredges,  almost  overgrown  with  tropical  vegetation,  were  seen  by  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs. 
La  Boca  is  the  present  Pacific  terminus  of  the  Panama  Railroad.  It  has  tracks  and  docks  extending  out  into 
the  shallow  water  some  distance  to  facilitate  the  loading  and  unloading  of  ships.  The  making  of  the  lake  and 
the  dredging  of  a  channel  out  to  deep  water  will  mean  a  complete  transformation  of  La  Boca.  With  the  plans 
spread  out  before  him,  Chief  Engineer  Stevens  made  clear  to  the  members  of  the  Clubs  the  location  of  the  dams 
and  locks.  He  also  showed  how  the  creation  of  the  La  Boca  Lake  means  a  fresh  water  harbor  in  which  ships 
may  anchor  and  remain  until  ready  to  go  to  sea,  either  directly  into  the  Pacific,  or  across  the  Isthmus  to  the 
Atlantic.  The  fresh  water  harbor  of  La  Boca  Lake  is  esteemed  by  the  engineers  a  distinct  advantage.  Two 
locks  divide  the  lift  between  the  Pacific  Ocean  level  and  the  La  Boca  Lake  level,  and  at  the  same  time  give 
adequate  control  over  tidal  changes  of  the  Pacific,  which  at  this  point  are  from  twenty  to  twenty-eight  feet. 

Looking  out  from  La  Boca,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  saw  the  islands  between  which  are  the  entrances 
to  the  Bay  of  Panama.  They  saw  one  old  hulk  which  they  were  told  was  the  first  side-wheeler  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  another  which  was  described  as  the  first  screw  steamer  on  the  Pacific.  At  La  Boca  and  .at 
Corozal,  in  the  same  vicinity,  were  two  of  the' plague  spots  on  the  Isthmus.  The  members  of  the 'Clubs  saw 
these  localities  cleared  and  drained  and  in  good  sanitary  condition.  Sanitary  gangs  were  still  at  work,  cutting 
away  the  jungle,  laying  drains  and  extending  the  zone  of  perfect  sanitary  protection.  In  one  place  the  visitors 
came  upon  a  negro  with  a  can  of  kerosene  carefully  oiling  the  surface  of  a  rivulet,  applying  the  preventive 
against  the  mosquito. 

At   Ancon    Hill,   just   outside   of   Panama   and   within  the  Canal  Zone  limits,  the  visitors  saw  what    inspired 
them   with   strong  admiration  —  the  hospitals.     Here,  on  a  fine  elevation,  with  nothing  to  check  the  sea  breezes, 
the    French    began    to    build    hospitals.     The    Americans    have    covered    the    hillsides   with    clusters    of    buildings. 
Everywhere  is  the  screened  porch.     Vegetation   is  limited   to   the   grass  and   to   the  yucca   palms.     Nothing  must 
interfere  with   the   free  movement  of  fresh   air.     The    Pacific  is  on  one  side.     The  Isthmus 
stretches    away    for    miles    in   view  on   the  other.     The    City    of    Panama    lies 
at   the  base   of  the   hill.     Ancon   is   ideal  for  hospital  purposes.     Here   Colonel 
Gorgas   and   the   medical  staff   have   conquered   that   which   was  the  harrowing 
factor  in  the  Isthmian  Canal  problem. 

Weary  of  body,  satiated  in  mind,  the  members  of  the  Commercial 
Clubs  reached  Colon  just  before  dusk,  the  evening  of  Saturday,  the 
second  of  March.  As  they  climbed  the  long  gang-way  to  the  deck 
they  were  met  by  Mr.  Batcheller,  of  the  Joint  Committee,  who 
counseled  quick  dressing  for  dinner.  The  guests  of  the  evening  were 
Chief  Engineer  Stevens  and  his  associates,  together  with  the  British  The  last  look  toward  the  Pacific  terminus  of  the  Panama  canal. 

114 


!  rimiin 

f  mini 


ON  THE  STEPS  OF  THE  TIVOLI  AT  PANAMA 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     First  row  — J.  D.  Bascom,  Thos.  P.  Egan,  E.  C.  Goshorn,  C.  H.  Thorne.     Second  row  — E.  G.  Cowdery, 

M.    A.    Ryerson,     B.  W.  Campbell,     L.    A.    Ault,     George  M.  Wright.      Third   row  — H.  J.  MacFarland,     C.  L.   Hutchinson, 

W.  K.  Bixby,  Robert  Moore,  Dan'I  Catlin.     Fourth  row  — William  Whitman,  C.  H.  Conover,  L.  W.  Noyes,  F.  J.  Jones. 

Fifth  row  — F.  B.  Carpenter,     H.  L.  Rice,    J.  W.  G.  Cofran,     Benj.  Carpenter,    J.  T.  Carew,     H.  C.  Yeiser. 

Sixth  row— Geo.  O.  Carpenter,  S.  Parker  Bremer,  Henry  S.  Warren  (Surgeon),  R.  H.  W.  Dwight,  Robt.  Batcheller, 

Harry  L.  Laws.     Standing  — Jno.  Omwake,  Jno.  M.  Clark,  D.  B.  Meacham,  William  Lodge,  Walker  Hill. 


Consul  at  Colon,  Mr.  Hudson  and  Mrs.  Hudson,  and  the  German  Consul  at  Colon,  Mr.  Heuer.  The  lady  was 
given  the  place  of  honor  at  the  Captain's  table.  She  was  seated  between  Captain  von  Leitner  and  President  O.  L. 
Whitelaw  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis.  She  was  toasted.  Upon  her  was  bestowed  the  emblematic  button 
of  the  Commercial  Clubs.  Her  gracious  presence  was  requested  at  other  tables  by  delegations  sent  to  present  the 
invitations.  Her  fair  English  face  flushed  with  amusement,  the  lady  bore  herself  with  splendid  self-possession,  in 
the  very  novel  position  of  the  only  representative  of  her  sex  at  a  dinner  party  of  over  one  hundred  gentlemen. 

With  great  cheering  the  party  arose  and  responded  to  "  The  President  of  the  United  States.  "  The  presiding 
officer  of  the  evening  was  Edward  Goepper,  President  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati.  Addressing  the 
guests  and  the  members  of  the  Clubs,  Mr.  Goepper  said: 

"Gentlemen,  our  first  regular  toast,  'The  President  of  the  United  States,"  has  already  been  proposed  and  accepted.  'The  Lady,' 
the  next  regular  toast,  which  we  had  intended  to  introduce  after  the  first  speech  of  the  evening,  has  also  been  proposed  and  received 
with  the  approbation  to  which  it  was  entitled. 

"I  have  the  great  pleasure  to  announce  to  you  that  we  are  favored  by  the  presence  of  the  representative  of  the  United  States, 
and  as  we  are  about  to  leave  his  dominion  and  he  has  been  so  kind  as  to  give  us  a  certificate  of  good  character,  I  am  sure  you  will 
all  be  glad  to  hear  from  Mr.  Arnold  Shanklin,  American  Consul-General  at  Panama." 

Mr.  Shanklin,  who  had  been  untiring  to  his  efforts  to  make  the  visit  of  the  Clubs  in  every  way 
successful,  said  : 

"  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  : 

"I  cannot  remember  when  my  voice  has  gone  back  on  me  before,  but  my  throat  is  in  trouble.  I  have  talked  so  much  during  the 
last  two  days,  and  have  tried  to  so  raise  my  voice  above  the  noise  of  the  train,  that  my  vocal  chords  seem  to  be  in  considerable  distress. 
I  trust  you  will  therefore  pardon  my  hoarseness  and  the  apparent  effort  with  which  I  am  compelled  to  speak. 

"  Allow  me  to  say  that  I  appreciate  very  much  the  kindly  feeling  which  you  have  expressed.  If  I  have  done  aught  to  make  it 
one  whit  more  pleasant  for  this  party,  I  am  glad,  and  am  mo/e  than  repaid,  because,  to  be  perfectly  candid  with  you,  it  has  been  a 
matter  of  selfishness  with  me.  You  do  not  know  how  glad  we  are  to  see  you  here,  and  how  much  we  regret  to  see  you  go.  Such 
visits  as  youm  are  really  oases  in  our  life  down  here.  We  are  tempted  sometimes  to  go  into  ice-houses  just  to  see  how  it  would  feel 
to  be  at  home  again.  I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  have  been  pleased  with  what  you  saw  on  the  Isthmus,  and  with  our  modest  efforts 
to  entertain  you,  and  I  believe  you  are  sincere  when  you  speak  of  the  pleasure  your  visit  has  afforded. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  have  the  pleasure  and  honor  of  serving  the  American  government  in  the  capacity  of  Consul-General  at  Panama. 
It  is  a  matter  of  regret  to  me  that  I  could  not  show  you  more  attention,  but  you  could  not  give  us  the  time.  You  came  in  like 
a  streak  and  are  going  out  the  same  way.  We  would  like  for  you  to  have  stayed  with  us  long  enough  for  us  to  have  carried 
out  the  program  we  had  arranged  in  your  honor,  but  there  were  others  waiting  for  you. 

"  And  now  I  shall  not  take  more  of  your  time  or  impose  upon  your  patience  further  than  to  say  that  we  beg  of  you,  as  you 
proceed  on  your  way  to  Jamaica  and  thence  on  to  Cuba  and  home,  not  to  forget  us.  As  you  sail  on  and  the  waves  dash  against  the 
iide>  of  this  good  ship,  as  you  glide  safely  over  the  rolling  billows,  let  the  stars  tell  you  that  we  have  not  forgotten  you,  and  let  them 
remind  you  of  us. 

"  I  have  a  telegram  addressed  to  Governor  Francis  and  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Club*,  which  contains  a  parting  message 
for  you,  and  which  I  shall  read.  It  is  from  the  American  Minister,  Mr.  Squires. 

117 


11  Governor    Francis  and  members  of  Commercial  Clubs,   Boston,   Cincinnati,   Chicago  and  St.   Louis:     I  regret  exceedingly   that 
I  will  not  be  able  to  dine  with  you  this  evening    and    particularly  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  personally  wish  you  all  a  bon  voyage.     I 
hope  you  will  return  another  year  when  you  may  expect  a  warmest  kind  of  a  welcome  from  all  the  Squires  family.  '  " 
Mr.  Goepper  next  introduced  the  Consul  of  Great   Britain  as  follows: 

"We  are  turning  our  faces  homeward  and  toward  the  possessions  of  our  mother  country,  to  whom  we  are  so  closely  bound  by  ties 
of  commercial  and  financial  relations,  but  above  all,  by  ties  of  friendship. 

"We  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  with  us  as  our  guest  of  honor  this  evening,  not  only  the  representative  of  Great  Britain,  but 
we  are  favored  by  the  presence  of  his  gracious  wife,  and  we  are  certainly  indebted  to  both  of  them  for  making  this  an  unusual  incident 
in  our  voyage.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  call  upon  the  Consul  of  Great  Britain  and  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Hudson." 

Mr.  Hudson  was  cordially  received  and  said: 

"Gentlemen,  I  wish  to  say  that  I  thank  you  very  much  for  the  honor  you  have  done  my  wife  and  myself.  I  am  sure  it  has 
been  a  great  pleasure  for  us  to  be  with  you  tonight  —  an  honor  quite  unexpected,  I  assure  you.  We  thought  we  were  coming  here  with 
the  Captain  only,  but  we  are  very  pleased  to  have  met  you. 

"I  thank  you  for  the  way  you  have  received  the  toast  which  was  proposed  a  short  time  ago  to  my  Sovereign,  and  I  can  only 
wish  you  a  bon  voyage;  and  when  you  arrive  in  Jamaica  I  hope  you  will  receive  a  hearty  welcome.  I  was  there  myself  a  few  weeks 
ago  and  saw  the  results  of  the  earthquake. 

"I  thank  you  again  for  your  kind  reception  to  us  tonight,  and  wish  you  all  bon  voyage." 

Captain  von  Leitner,  rising  in  his  place,  claimed  attention.     He  said: 

As  Governor  Francis  says  do  not  forget  the  President  of  the  United  States,  I  think  it  is  no  more  than  right  that  we  do  not 
forget  the  German  Emperor  either." 

The  toast  to  the  German  Emperor  was  received  with  great  applause.  Mr.  Goepper  introduced  the  Consul 
of  Germany  at  Colon  saying: 

"Gentlemen,  we  have  had  occasion  to  be  reminded  of  a  nation  that  is  also  closely  allied  to  us  by  fraternal  and  commercial 
relations,  by  being  on  this  boat.  The  nation  to  which  I  refer  has  made  marvelous  progress  in  an  industrial  way,  as  you  all  know,  and 
likewise  boasts  of  a  wonderful  marine.  I  think  it  is  therefore  eminently  proper  that  we  should  have  a  few  words  from  another  guest  of 
honor  this  evening  who  has  been  so  kind  as  to  be  present,  and  I  will  ask  Mr.  Heuer,  the  German  Consul  to  address  you." 

Mr.  Heuer  responded  pleasantly  as  follows: 

"Gentlemen,  I  also  came  in  my  private  capacity  as  a  guest  of  Captain  von  Leitner,  as  I  supposed,  but  finding  myself  in  the 
company  of  you  gentlemen,  I  am  none  the  less  happy  to  be  here.  I  think  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  of  my  life.  I  hope  the 
trip  you  are  making  on  this  German  steamer  may  be  a  very  delightful  one,  and  that  one  of  these  days  you  will  return  to  Colon,  to 
find  the  progress  made  on  the  Canal  equally  as  gratifying  and  satisfactory  as  you  have  found  it  on  your  present  visit,  under  the  able 
direction  of  Mr.  Stevens.  " 

Mr.  Goepper  next  introduced  Mr.  Bierd,  Manager  of  the  Panama  Railroad.     He  said  : 

"  I  am  reminded  that  we  are  expected  to  leave  before  the  shades  of  evening  grow  much  heavier,  and  I  see  the  Captain  is  already 
growing  a  little  nervous.  Therefore  we  shall  be  obliged  to  curtail  the  evening's  entertainment  and  make  it  more  brief  than  was  planned, 
but  we  cannot  permit  our  guests  to  leave  us  without  referring  to  the  visit  we  have  had  on  the  Isthmus  during  the  last  two  days,  and 
being  reminded  of  the  attention  given  to  every  detail  of  our  comfort — which  only  those  who  have  had  similar  experience  can 
appreciate. 

118 


THE  CANAL  ON  PAPER 

Chief  Engineer  Stevens    showing   the  plans  of  La  Boca  Dams.     Those    looking   on  (reading  from  left    to  right)  :     Charles  H.  Thorne, 

Elihu  Thomson,   Edward  Goepper,   Robert  Moore,   Robert  Batcheller,   Rolla  Wells,   Chas.  W.  Knapp, 

Henry  C.  Scott,  Jas.  A.  Green,  D.  B.  Meacham. 


"We  are  all  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Bierd  for  his  untiring  attention  and  courtesy.  I  will  make  my  own  remarks  short  as  an 
example  and  ask  Mr.  Beird  to  say  a  few  words  before  we  take  leave  of  him." 

Mr.  Bierd's  response  was  as  follows: 

"Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  Commercial  Clubs:  I  assure  you  it  has  been  a  great  pleasure  not  only  to  myself,  but 
to  everyone  else  that  has  had  the  privilege  of  trying  to  make  your  trip  interesting  and  agreeable,  to  see  you  here  and  to  show  you 
wli.n  is  being  done  toward  the  construction  of  the  Canal.  I  want  to  say  that  of  the  very  many  visits  that  have  been  made  to  the 
Isthmus,  to  inspect  the  Canal  work  and  the  railroad  (and  by  the  way,  I  may  say  that  the  railroad  is  but  an  auxiliary  of  the  Canal), 
of  the  many  visits  that  have  been  made  here  by  those  desiring  to  obtain  a  better  understanding  of  the  character  and  magnitude  of  the 
work  going  on  here  and  the  conditions  under  which  it  is  performed  —  there  has  never  been,  I  say,  a  visit  paid  the  Isthmus  that  has 
been  to  us  —  and  I  believe  when  I  say  that  I  voice  the  sentiments  of  all  my  associates — I  repeat,  there  has  never  been  a  visit  paid  the 
Isthmus  in  the  interest  of  the  Canal  that  has  equaled  the  visit  you  gentlemen  have  just  made,  and  none  which  we  feel  to  be  such  an 
honor. 

"We  appreciate  very  highly,  gentlemen,  the  kind  and  friendly  feeling  that  has  been  shown  toward  us  mho  are  engaged  in  this 
undertaking.  The  interest  you  have  taken  is  very  encouraging  to  us.  I  think  everyone  present  here  tonight  really  enjoyed  and 
appreciates  this  interest.  And  I  believe  the  visit  of  your  Clubs  will  have  a  lasting  effect  upon  the  Canal  work.  It  is  these 
encouragements  that  help  us.  There  have  been  some  who  came  and  found  fault.  As  long  as  the  fault-finding  is  reasonable  and 
justified  we  are  perfectly  willing  to  accept  it  and  to  try  and  correct  the  lapses.  But  where  it  is  without  foundation  and  is  the  result  of 
malice  or  misrepresentation,  we  strongly  resent  it. 

"Gentlemen,  we  want  to  express  '  our  appreciation  of  your  kind  words  and  the  good  cheer  you  have  infused  in  us,  and  we 
hope  sincerely  that  the  remainder  of  your  trip  may  be  safe  and  pleasant.  " 

Captain  von  Leitner  arose  with  evident  determination  to  hasten  the  departure.     He  said: 

"Gentlemen,    I    am   glad  you  all  come  back  and  you  enjoyed  your  trip  on  the  Isthmus.     I  must  say  one  thing.     I  now  see  one 

thing.      That    the    Commercial    Clubs    made    one    mistake,    that   they  did  not  bring  the  ladies  with  them.     I  can  see  it  now  because 

everybody  wants  Mrs.  Hudson  to  sit  at  their  table. 

"  I   ought  to  say  I    see   here  tonight  some  guests  w,hom  I  saw  before  in  Panama.     I  see  among  others  the  head  man  that  builds 

the  Canal,  and  I  think  it  no  more  than  right  that  everyone  take  his  glass  and  drink  his  health.  " 

Mr.  Goepper  introduced  the  Chief  Engineer,  saying: 

"Gentlemen,  you  will  be  detained  only  a  short  time  longer,  and  while  I  realize  how  much  might  be  said  in  introducing  the  next 
and  last  speaker  of  the  evening,  yet  in  effect  little  could  be  added  to  what  was  said  last  night. 

"The  Panama  Canal  is  —  perhaps  I  should  say  the  adoption  or  taking  over  of  the  Canal  by  the  United  States  —  may  indirectly, 
at  least,  be  traced  to  the  interest  which  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  took  in  it.  How  they 
practically  inaugurated  the  movement  is  past  history.  During  the  past  two  days  it  has  been  the  privilege  of  the  members  of  the  Clubs 
on  this  visit  to  see  that  the  work  is  being  carried  on  as  they  had  hoped  it  would  be.  We  came  to  make  sure  that  it  was.  We  canv 
with  the  wish  in  our  hearts  really  to  know  that  what  we  are  so  deeply  interested  in  is  being  accomplished.  But  we  struck  a  minor 
chord  when  we  reached  here.  The  pleasure  which  we  would  have  felt  in  leaving  after  having  attained  our  object  has  been  tempered 
by  the  announcement  of  the  withdrawal  of  the  Chief  Engineer.  You  had  occasions  yesterday  to  see  what  he  has  accomplished  an  I 
better  speakers  than  I  have  borne  testimony  to  his  work.  I  merely  wish  on  behalf  of  the  four  Clubs  to  express  to  him  our  gratification, 
and  our  appreciation  of  the  great  work  he  has  done,  our  regret  that  he  is  thinking  of  leaving,  and  our  earnest  hope  that  he  may  not 

121 


adhere  to  his  decision.     In  any  event,  however,  our   good   wishes  go  with   him,  and   I   will   now   call   upon   Mr.   Stevens  to  say  a  few 
words  and  give  him  the  opportunity  to  say  good  bye." 

Mr.  Stevens  replied  feelingly: 

"Mr.  President,  Lady,  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Commercial  Clubs,  your  leaving  us  tonight  makes  me  sad.  We  are  glad  you 
came  and  we  wish  your  stay  could  be  longer,  but  I  am  sensible  of  the  fact  that  you  are  all  busy  men,  and  that  you  are  compelled  to 
neglect  your  business  to  be  here.  We  hope  the  two  days  you  spent  on  the  Canal  Zone  have  proved  enjoyable  and  profitable  in 
affording  you  a  clearer  idea  than  you  have  had  before  of  the  character  and  progress  of  this  undertaking. 

"Let  me  say  on  behalf  of  all  the  employees  of  the  Canal  Commission  that  we  are  proud  that  you  came  to  see  us  at  our  work,  nd 
hope  you  can  find  your  way  clear  to  come  again.  May  this  good  German  ship  bear  you  safely  home,  and  on  behalf  of  every  American 
citizen  on  the  Canal  Zone  I  wish  you  Godspeed." 

The  speaking  concluded  with  brief  remarks  by  Mr.  David  R.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  who  said : 

"I  crave,  Mr.  President,  Gentlemen  and  Representatives  of  foreign  countries  present  here  this  evening,  your  indulgence  for  but 
two  or  three  minutes. 

"We  have  accomplished  the  main,  if  not  the  objective  purpose  of  our  visit.  We  have  traversed  the  Isthmus;  we  have 
seen  the  work  being  done  on  the  Panama  Canal.  We  have  been  pleased  with  what  has  thus  far  been  achieved.  We  are  better 
pleased  with  the  spirit  which  permeates  the  men  who  are  engaged  in  this  great  undertaking,  and  just  as  every  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  when  called  upon  to  defend  the  flag,  will  sacrifice  every  financial  interest  and  take  up  arms  in  behalf  of  his 
country,  just  next  to  that  do  we  think  that  every  citizen  of  our  beloved  country,  when  called  upon  to  take  part  in  this  work, 
should  respond  to  the  call. 

"This  is  one  of  the  great  undertakings  of  the  age  and  every  man  should  feel  proud  to  be  connected  with  it.  When  we 
go  home  it  will  be  our  duty  as  well  as  our  pleasure  to  tell,  not  only  the  people  of  our  respective  cities,  but  the  people  of  the 
entire  country,  what  is  being  accomplished  here;  and  we  shall  be  proudest  of  all  to  tell  them  of  the  spirit  that  inspires  every 
man  engaged  in  this  project. 

"I  feel  that  it  should  be  considered  a  duty  on  the  part  of  every  American  citizen  who  is  qualified  to  perform  any  work 
to  feel  that  the  government  of  the  United  States  may  call  upon  him  to  perform  it. 

"In  closing,  sir,  I  am  sure  I  voice  the  sentiments  of  every  member  of  these  Commercial  Clubs  when  I  say  that  we  extend 
hearty  congratulations  to  the  men  who  are  engaged  in  this  work  for  the  physical  progress  made.  And  we  say  to  them,  go  on. 

"A  speech  was  made  last  night  by  an  employee  —  a  timely  and  effective  speech  —  which  said  that  regardless  of  who  may  lead  this 
work,  the  speaker  would  be  loyal  to  the  head,  and  he  trusted  every  employee  of  the  Commission  would  feel  likewise.  That  was  a 
proper  and  an  opportune  speech  for  an  employee  to  make,  and  I  hope  it  will  have  its  effect.  But  we  all  know  that  when  there  is  a 
change  in  the  leadership  of  such  an  organization  as  this,  demoralization  follows.  Therefore  I  am  confident  I  express  the  views  of  all 
present  when  I  say  that  it  is  our  sincere  hope  there  will  be  no  change  in  that  leadership." 

At  this  point  Captain  von  Leitner,  who  had  been  manifesting  a  little  anxiety,  arose,  his  face  beaming  with 
good  nature,  his  manner  marked  with  a  sense  of  duty,  and  said  : 

"  Gentlemen.     I  think  it  is  time  to  go." 

The  Captain  did  not  progress  further.  There  was  no  weathering  that  hurricane  of  merriment.  The 
dinner  was  over.  As  Mrs.  Hudson  was  escorted  from  the  dining  saloon  there  followed  her  in  a  great  chorus: 

"  Good-night,  lady.     We're  going  to  leave  you  now." 

122 


A    STOP   AT    BAS    OBISPO 

Reading  from  left  to   right:    Laurence  Minot,    Edward  F.  Swift,   James  A.  Green,    T.  P.  Egan,    N.   H.  Davis,  C.  L.   Hutchinson, 

W.  B.  Lawrence,  J.  D.  Bascom,  James  R.  Carter,  L.  D.  Dozier,  General  Manager  Bierd  (Panama  R.  R.),  Consul   General 

Shanklin,  David  R.   Francis,  Robert  M.  Burnett,  H.   L.   Laws,  A.   H.  Chatfield,  Charles  S.   Dennison,  David  B. 

Gamble,    C.    H.    McCormick,    William  Worthington,   L.   A.    Ault,  W.    D.    Bolick,   Joseph   D.   Bascom. 

On  the  train  — E.    G.  Cowdery,    Robert    Moore,    Robert  Batcheller,    George  M.  Wright,  Charles 

H.    Thorne,     Lucien    Wulsin,    L.     W.    Noyes,    J.   W.     G.     Cofran,     Henry    C.    Scott. 


The  tug  carrying  the   guests  back  to  Colon   had  barely  passed   from  view   of 
the    waving    handkerchiefs    and    sound    of    the    cheering   when    the     "PRINX 
JOACHIM"   raised    anchor   and    turned    northward    for   the  run   of  550   miles 
to  Kingston. 

What    the    Canal    officials    thought    of    the   visit    of   the    Commercial 
Clubs   was   summed    up    by    Superintendent    Bolick,    who    remarked    just 
before  the  departure:     "I  am  pumped  dry." 

The    heads    of    departments  of  the    Isthmian    Canal    Commission 
have    met    many    visitors    and    have    answered    a    great    variety    of 
questions.     They    found    in    the    members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs 
observers  who  for  comprehensiveness  and  number  of    inquiries  broke 
all  records. 

The  Panama  STAR  AND  HERALD  had  this  to  say  of  the 
impression  which  the  Clubs  left  behind  them  : 

The  business  and  financial  standing  of  each  and  every  one  of  the  eighty 
odd  commercial  men  in  this  party  is  such  as  to  make  their  report  of  the 
conditions  they  found  to  exist  on  the  Canal  Zone  second  in  point  of  public 
interest  only  to  the  special  message  to  Congress  in  which  President  Roosevelt  told 
of  what  he  found  when  he  was  here.  Last  November  the  Canal  officials  on  the 
Isthmus  had  to  answer  the  questions  of  one  man  determined  to  learn  all  that  he 
could  about  the  Canal  work.  Last  Friday  and  Saturday  the  men  in  charge  of 
the  several  departments  had  to  stand  the  examination  of  eighty  odd  gentlemen, 
who  have  been,  or  are  at  present,  in  active  management  or  control  of  some  of  the 
largest  and  most  representative  business  organizations  in  the  United  States  and 
the  commercial  world  today.  The  gentlemen  in  this  party  represented  every 
shade  of  political  belief.  As  soon  as  they  had  greeted  the  Reception  Committee 
they  inquired  as  to  which  of  them  they  should  go  for  information  along  the 
several  lines  of  inquiry  that  it  had  been  decided  before  landing  was  wanted, 
not  only  by  members  of  the  party  actually  present,  but  by  the  members  of  the 
Clubs  who  had  not  been  able  to  come  to  the  Isthmus. 

Before  the  special  train  chartered  by  the  party  had  left  the  big  new  yards 
at  Cristobal  the  visitors  interested  and  familiar  with  railroads  were  crowding 
around  General  Manager  Bierd,  plying  him  with  all  manner  of  questions  about 
the  Panama  Railroad.  Mr.  Joy  Morton,  of  Chicago,  and  President  Frank  J. 
Jones,  of  the  Little  Miami  Railroad,  gave  Mr.  Bierd  a  searching  examination, 
and  when  they  had  finished  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Russell,  President  of  the  West  End 
Street  Railway  Company,  and  Treasurer  of  the  Boston  Wharf  Company,  brought 

125 


THE    TWO    MAYORS  AT   LA    BOCA 

Rolli  \Vcll».  Mirot  of  Si.  Louii.  ind  Don.  ).  Ktincmo  it  li  On*. 
Mayor  of  Panama. 


out  Mr.  Bierd's  reasons  for  claiming  that,  owing  to  the  material  improvements  at  Colon,  the  steamship  business  of  the  Panama  Railroad 
at  that  point  is  handled  at  a  reduced  cost  and  at  speed  that,  considering  labor  conditions,  is  hard  to  equal  in  any  other  port  in 
the  world. 

The  methods  for  receiving,  caring  for  and  distributing  all  of  the  supplies  needed  en  the  Isthmus  were  the  subject  of  study  for 
the  gentlemen  who  know  the  most  modern  methods  by  which  it  is  possible  to  do  this  work.  Charles  S.  Dennison,  Vice-President  of 
the  Dennison  Manufacturing  Company;  James  A.  Green,  one  of  the  firm  of  Matthew,  Addy  &  Company,  of  Cincinnati;  John  G. 
Wright,  of  Boston,  one  of  the  biggest  wool  merchants  in  the  country,  and  Mr.  Edward  Swift,  Vice-President  of  Swift  &  Company, 
whose  Chicago  house  has  business  connections  almost  all  over  the  world,  put  the  Chief  of  Department  of  Material  and  Supply  through 
a  running  fire  of  questions  that  made  some  of  the  Material  and  Supply  men  say  it  was  worth  a  day's  pay  to  have  the  work  of 
answering  so  many  questions. 

At  Gatun,  the  engineering  members  of  the  party,  Mr.  Elihu  Thomson  and  Mr.  Robert  Moore,  with  the  plans  in  hand  made  a 
personal  inspection  of  all  the  points  about  which  they  had  any  doubt.  Mr.  Gerig  and  his  assistants  were  prepared  for  questions,  but 
asserted  last  Friday  night  that  they  had  never  experienced  a  more  exhausting  examination. 

At  Matachin  the  magnitude  of  the  operations  carried  on  by  the  big  shops  under  Mr.  Cummings  detained  the  visitors  longer 
than  the  reception  committee  had  expected.  Mr.  Brook,  the  Superintendent  of  Motive  Power  and  Machinery,  needed  all  of  the  time 
the  train  took  in  travelling  from  Bas  Matachin  to  Culebra  Cut  to  explain  to  the  presidents  and  managers  of  the  big  firms  represented 
to  just  what  use  the  Canal  Commission  puts  all  the  old  iron  and  scrap  machinery  of  which  so  much  is  to  be  seen  on  the  Isthmus. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  Culebra  Cut,  the  reception  committee  transferred  the  visitors  to  some  flat  cars  so  that  in  going  through  this 
interesting  section  of  the  Canal  they  might  see,  as  the  Chief  Engineer  had  directed,  the  top,  bottom  and  the  sides  of  all  that  was  to  be 
seen.  This  was  the  portion  of  the  trip  to  which  the  members  of  the  Chicago  Commercial  Club  had  been  looking  with  especial  interest. 
Chairman  Shonts  had  delivered  an  address  before  the  Club  in  January  last  and  told  them  some  very  interesting  points  about  the  Canal. 
They  wanted  to  see  every  place  he  had  mentioned.  Chief  Engineer  Stevens  joined  the  party  at  Culebra,  but  Mr.  Bolick,  the  Division 
Engineer  at  Culebra,  was  the  principal  expositor  of  the  work  done  in  the  Cut.  The  Chicago  men  wanted  to  know  everything.  They 
inquired  into  almost  every  problem  that  he  mentioned. 

Questions  of  sanitation  brought  every  one  of  the  visitors,  at  some  time  during  their  visit,  to  Colonel  Gorgas,  "the  Grand  Old  Man 
of  the  Isthmus"  as  some  of  them  called  him.  The  Colonel  seemed  about  the  only  head  of  department  that  was  unperturbed  by  the 
exactions  of  the  trip,  and  yet  he  personally  explained  to  most  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  party  the  methods  by  which  he  has  so  completely 
altered  the  health  conditions  of  this  Isthmus. 

Commissioner  Jackson  Smith  had  to  meet  all  questions  as  to  where,  how  and  through  whom  he  has  secured  the  men  now  here 
and  how  he  expected  to  secure  those  still  needed  to  carry  on  the  work,  and  as  to  the  ways  and  means  adopted  for  feeding,  and  caring 
for  the  thirty-five  thousand  men  of  which  his  department  has  charge. 


126 


GROUP  ON  SANITATION  AND  HYGIENE 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Sitting  —  Homer  P.   Knapp,  William  Lodge,  Robert  A.  Boit  (Chairman),  John  W.  Warrington,  Martin 

A.  Ryerson.     Standing— Henry  S.  Warren  (Surgeon),  S.  Parker  Bremer. 


Impressions 


THE  day  after  the  departure  from  the  Isthmus  Mr.  Wulsin,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Observation 
of  the  Panama  Canal,  called  together  the  chairmen  of  the  eight  groups  and  the  members  of  his 
committee.  The  participants  in  the  conference  were  Messrs.  Thomson,  Boit,  Burnett,  and  Carpenter, 
of  Boston;  Mr.  Schmidlapp  and  Mr.  Maxwell,  of  Cincinnati;  Mr.  Farwell  and  Mr.  McCormick,  of 
Chicago  ;  Mr.  Moore,  of  St.  Louis. 

On  account  of  the  illness  of  Mr.  Knox,  of  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Burnett  and  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Boston,  were 
in  charge  of  the  work  of  the  group  on  Housing  and  Food  —  Mr.  Burnett  on  Housing,  and  Mr.  Carpenter, 
who  is  commissary  general  of  Massachusetts,  on  Food. 

To  the  conference  Mr.  Wulsin  submitted  the  question  whether  the  groups  should  be  asked  to  put  their 
impressions  in  writing.  It  was  the  unanimous  conclusion  that  each  group  should  make  a  concise  written 
report. 

The  conference  further  agreed  that  a  general  meeting  of  members  of  the  Clubs  should  be  held,  at  which 
each  group  should  be  given  fifteen  minutes  in  which  to  present  the  written  report  and  such  verbal  additions  and 
comments  as  the  members  of  the  groups  might  see  fit  to  make. 

Following  the  conference  the  chairmen  of  the  groups  called  together  their  associates.  The  preparation  of 
the  reports  was  undertaken.  It  was  a  work  of  hours.  In  the  meetings  of  the  groups  there  was  thorough 
discussion  of  what  had  been  seen  and  heard  on  the  Isthmus. 

On  the  4th  of  March  the  general  meeting  of  the  members  was  held  in  the  dining  saloon,  Mr.  Farwell,  of 
Chicago,  presiding.  In  announcing  the  purpose  of  the  meeting  Mr.  Farwell  said  that  each  group  would  be 
entitled  to  occupy  fifteen  minutes  in  the  report  of  impressions  received. 

Mr.  Boit,  Chairman  of  the  group  on  Hygienic  and  Sanitary  Conditions,  presented  the  following: 

The  subject  given  your  committee  on  Sanitation  and  Hygiene  is  a  broad  and  far-reaching  one,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to 
treat  the  question  in  a  manner  worthy  of  it  in  the  space  that  we  should  take.  We  shall,  therefore,  confine  ourselves  as  strictly  as 
possible  to  certain  details  of  the  work  which  our  committee  think  may  be  of  interest  to  you,  and  shall  be  happy  to  answer  as  we  go 
on,  any  question  you  may  wish  to  ask. 

129 


We  shall  divide  the  subject  under  three  heads: 

!•     Water  supply  and  drainage. 

2      Street  department. 

3.     General  sanitation  of  the  Zone,  Panama  and  Colon,   and  the  buildings  in  them. 


Water  Supply  and  Drainage 


The  water  is  supplied  from  three  large  reservoirs: 

1.  Located  ten  miles  from  Panama,  consisting  of  two  lakes,  having  a  capacity  of  500,000,000  gallons 

2.  Located  at  Empire,  containing  250,000,000  gallons. 

3.  Located  three  miles  from  Colon,  with  a  capacity  of  580,000,000  gallons. 

These  reservoirs  are  supplied  from  water  sources  long  distances  from  the  towns  and  camps,  and  at  points  entirely  safe  from  the 
possibility  of  contamination ;  and  either  from  natural  lakes  or  rivers,  or,  as  in  the  case  of  Colon,  from  a  pond  made  by  damming  a 
stream  in  high  land  back  of  Colon,  about  one  mile  from  Mt.  Hope.  In  all  cases  analysis  has  shown  the  water  is  soft  and  contains 
nothing  in  solution  that  is  deleterious  to  health.  Filtering  will  remove  any  sediment  there  may  be  in  it,  though  some  prefer  to  boil  it 
before  using  for  drinking  purposes. 

The  supplies  for  Colon  and  Panama  are  sufficient  for  towns  of  much  larger  areas  and  population,  and  the  pressure  is  sufficient. 
At  Panama  the  pressure  varies  from  forty  to  sixty  pounds,  which  is  enough  for  protection  in  case  of  fire. 

There  are  about  twenty  miles  of  water  mains  in  the  City  of  Panama,  and  ten  miles  of  pipe  leading  to  the  city.  The  mains  are 
from  six  to  sixteen-inch  pipe.  All  of  the  sewer  pipes  used  are  vitrified  pipe.  These  are  led  from  the  towns  in  the  Zone,  except  Panama 
and  Colon,  to  rivers  and  points  in  them  that  cannot  possibly  endanger  the  health  of  the  inhabitants.  Many  run  into  the  Chagres 
River. 

In    certain    isolated    places,  in    temporary    camps,  the    night   soil    is   carried    in    buckets   to    remote    points. 

In    Colon    and    Panama   the    sewers   run    into   the   sea   beyond    low    water   mark 

The  work  itself,  the  materials,  the  installation  and  plumbing,  are  all  good  and  done  by  competent  head 
plumbers  and  skilled  labor.  In  a  portion  of  the  work  poor  material  was  used,  as  that  was  all  they  had  on 
hand,  but  this  is  now  being  replaced.  There  are  six  inspectors  of  this  work. 

Every  householder  in  Panama  is  taxed  for  water  and  sewer   connections,  whether  he  has  them 
or  not;  and  the  mains  are  piped  off    to  the  curbs  of  the  streets  so  that  the  owner's  connection 
requires  only  opening  under  the  sidewalks. 

The  law  in  Panama  makes  these  water  bills  a  direct  lien  upon  the  property, 
but  in  three  cases  only  has  it  been  necessary  to  resort  to  this  method  of  collection. 

With  the  introduction  of  running  water,  laws  were  passed  prohibiting  the  use 
of  cisterns  and  the  collecting  of  rain  water  for  domestic  purposes,  and  under  close 
and  regular  inspection  this  custom  has  been  stopped.  Those  whose  houses  are  not 
connected  with  the  mains  must  draw  such  water  as  they  need  from  the  nearest  street 
faucets. 

The  garbage  in  Panama  and  Colon  is  collected  daily,  and  throughout  the 
rest  of  the  Zone  it  is  taken  at  least  once  a  week  and  either  burned  or  carried 


A  Panamanian  Village — Typical  Huts  on  the  Isthmus. 


130 


GROUP  ON  PLAN  OF  MANAGEMENT 

Reading   from    left   to  right:      Sitting  —  James  R.  Carter,    David  R.  Francis,    H.  W.  Cumner,    Lucien  Wulsin   (Chairman),    William 

Whitman,  Chas.  W.  Knapp.     Standing  —  Walter  B.  Stevens  (Press  Representative),  E.  C.  Goshorn, 

Alfred  L.  Baker,  Joy  Morton,  Robt.  McK.  Jones,  Harry  L.  Laws. 


out    to    sea,    or    to    some    point    where     rilling    is    going    on    and    dumped    there,    and     the     next     loads    of    excavations    cover 
it  up. 

Street  Department 

The  roads  in  the  villages  are  treated  as  are  those  of  any  United  States  village,  hut  where  there  are  to  be  permanent  settlements 
they  will  be  paved  and  sidewalks  made;  in  several  places  this  work  has  already  been  begun. 

Most  of  your  Committee  did  not  see  the  streets  of  Colon  and  Cristobal  except  from  car  windows,  but  we  were  credibly  informed 
that  about  a  half  had  already  been  paved,  or  are  in  process  of  paving,  and  that  the  whole  will  soon  be  completed.  We  were  also 
informed  that  they  are  raising  the  grade  of  depressions  in  the  land  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  stagnant  pools.  For  this  purpose  the 
government  is  supplying,  from  the  excavations,  material  for  filling  and  is  forcing  the  inhabitants  to  do  the  work.  In  such  cases  the 
grade  will  be  raised  from  three  to  four  feet. 

And  now  we  come  to  Panama,  which  your  Committee   thinks  in  many    respects  is  an   object    lesson.     Two  years  ago  this  was  a 
city  of  mud  and  chaos.     And  look  at  it  today!     In  Panama  there  are  in  all  about  twenty  miles  of  streets.     During  the  last  two  years: 
Ten  miles  of  them  have  been  thoroughly  laid  in  vitrified  brick, 
Seven  and  one-half  miles  in  good  macadam  and  concrete — and  about 
Two  and  one-half  miles  remain  to  be  completed  after  the  drains  have  first  been  laid. 

When  the  vitrified  brick  is  used  a  rilling  is  first  made  of  broken  stone,  and  over  this  a  layer  of  concrete,  and  on  the  concrete 
rest  the  vitrified  brick  from  curb  to  curb.  Under  this  have  of  course  been  laid  all  of  the  water  pipes  and  sewers  of  which  we  have 
spoken. 

Besides  this,  there  are  the  concrete  curbs,  and  in  many  places  the  finished  sidewalks.  Thus  Panama  is  today  a  town  of 
well-paved  streets.  These  are  not  flushed  except  by  the  rain,  which  is  carried  off  by  200  sewer  inlets,  but  they  are  swept  daily — early 
in  the  morning  — by  machines,  and  your  Committee  doubts  if  you  will  find  a  cleaner  looking  town  of  its  size  from  Maine  to  Texas. 

General  Sanitation 

With  regard  to  this  subject,  little  can  be  said  with  which  you  have  not  all  become  familiar.  You  have  seen  the  clearings  of  the 
hillsides  and  the  burning  of  the  brush,  making  broad  open  spaces  about  the  working  settlements.  You  have  seen  the  draining  and 
filling  of  the  marshes  near  them.  You  have  seen  the  use  of  petroleum  on  the  pools  of  small  streams  that  must  for  the  present  be 
allowed  to  remain.  You  have  seen  the  draining  of  the  surfaces  of  the  hillsides  themselves,  on  which  dwellings  and  other  buildings 
stand.  You  have  seen  the  careful  screening  of  the  homes  of  the  operatives.  You  have  seen  how  these  houses  are  built  on  posts  that 
the  ventilation  under  them  may  be  perfect.  And,  in  the  opinion  of  your  Committee,  you  have  seen  more  suitable  and  better  built  and 
more  comfortable  homes  for  the  laborers  than  you  are  likely  to  find  provided  anywhere  in  the  world  for  a  similar  purpose. 

You  have  seen  the  hospitals  well  laid  out  and  equipped  with  every  necessary  appliance  for  first-class  work. 

And  in  statistics  that  may  be  given,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  French  company  reported  only  those  deaths  which  occurred 
in  the  hospitals,  whereas  our  records  show  every  death  in  the  Zone.  The  French  company  charged  the  contractors  one  dollar  per  day 
for  every  patient  sent  to  the  hospital,  which  resulted  in  them  sending  as  few  as  possible;  in  the  opinion  of  Colonel  Gorgas  this  meant 
the  reporting  of  not  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  actual  deaths.  You  have  noticed  the  little  graveyards  all  along  the  line.  These  were 
the  graves  of  the  unreported  dead  of  the  former  period. 

Yesterday  a  boss  laborer  was  heard  to  say  to  Colonel  Gorgas:  "Colonel,  I  was  up  at  the  hospital  for  a  week,  and  they 
just  treated  me  royally."  And  he  spoke  with  evident  and  sincere  gratitude. 

133 


GROUP  ON  SOCIAL  CONDITIONS,  INCLUDING  WELFARE  AND  ETHICAL  QUESTIONS 

Reading   from    left   to    right:     Sitting  — Robt.    Batcheller,    Hanford    Crawford,    W.  W.  Taylor,    Lawrence    Maxwell,   Jr.   (Chairman), 

B.    W.    Campbell,    Chas.    H.    Conover.      Standing  —  John    R.     Morron,    George    M.    Wright, 

Lawrence  Minot,    Charles  L.   Hutchinson,    L.  A.  Ault. 


operation.  Aside  from  the  general  management,  some  inquiry  was  made  as  to  the  details  of  what  might  be  termed  storekeeping, 
bookkeeping,  accountability  of  officials,  and  it  may  be  said  that  these  seemed  to  the  committee  to  be  characterized  by  good  methods  and 
such  as  are  found  in  efficient  business  organizations  of  the  day. 

"  In  examining  the  storehouse  yesterday,  some  of  us  had  occasion,  without  previous  notice  to  those  in  charge,  to  look  into  the  book' 
which  are  being  kept  by  the  clerks  of  that  department.  We  found  the  accounts  arranged  in  prope'  manner  for  the  careful  accounting 
of  all  of  the  stock  on  hand.  The  books  showed  the  amount  of  stock  on  hand  at  the  beginning  of  each  month,  the  amount  issued 
during  the  succeeding  thirty  days,  the  amount  received,  the  remainder  on  hand  at  the  expiration  of  that  period,  and  the  amount  ordered 
and  in  transit.  Not  only  is  a  monthly  record  of  this  kind  kept,  but  there  is  also  a  daily  inventory;  in  fact,  our  brief  examination 
showed  really  what  a  good,  well -organized  department  of  this  kind  should  be." 

In  behalf  of  the  group  on  Social  and  Racial  Conditions,  including  Welfare  and  Ethical  Questions,  Mr. 
Maxwell,  the  Chairman,  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Crawford,  of  St.  Louis,  presented  the  three  sections 
of  the  report,  which  was  as  follows: 

Law  and  Order 

The  Canal  Zone  is  a  strip  ten  miles  in  width  extending  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  over  which  complete  and  exclusive 
jurisdiction  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  Republic  of  Panama  by  the  treaty  of  November  18,  1903. 

This  jurisdiction  is  exercised  through  laws  of  the  United  States  passed  by  Congress,  applicable  to  the  Canal  Zone,  by  executive 
orders  of  the  President,  which  have  the  form  and  effect  of  law,  and  by  enactments,  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission,  in  which  body  is  vested  general  legislative  power,  subject  to  the  laws  passed  by  Congress  and  the  executive  orders  of  the 
President.  Laws  enacted  by  the  Commission  are  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  President. 

The  first  act  passed  by  the  Commission  known  as  Act  No.  1,  provided  for  the  organization  of  judiciary  and  the  exercise  of 
judicial  power  in  the  Canal  Zone;  it  was  adopted  August  16th,  1904.  Under  it  the  judicial  power  of  the  government  of  the  Canal 
Zone  is  vested  in  a  supreme  court,  circuit  courts  and  municipal  courts. 

The  municipal  courts  exercise  jurisdiction  similar  to  that  vested  in  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  United  States.  They  have 
jurisdiction  of  offences  where  the  punishment  is  limited  to  a(  fine  of  twenty-five  dollars  or  imprisonment  for  thirty  days,  and  of  civil 
actions  where  the  amount  in  controversy  is  less  than  $100. 

The  circuit  courts  have  appellate  jurisdiction  of  all  cases  arising  in  the  municipal  courts,  and  original  jurisdiction  over  all 
other  civil  and  criminal  cases.  They  correspond  to  the  nisi  prius  courts  of  record  in  the  United  States.  There  are  three  circuit  judges, 
each  of  whom  exercises  jurisdiction  in  one  of  the  three  judicial  circuits  into  which  the  Zone  is  divided.  One  circuit  court  is  held  at 
Ancon,  one  at  Empire,  and  one  at  Cristobal. 

The  three  circuit  judges  sitting  in  bane  compose  the  supreme  court,  which  is  the  highest  court  in  the  Zone.  It  has  appellate 
jurisdiction  over  the  circuit  courts  and  original  jurisdiction  in  mandamus,  certiorari,  prohibition,  habeas  corpus  and  quo  warranto. 

The  chief  justice  receives  an  annual  salary  of  $6,500  and  the  associate  justices  $6,000  each.  Each  judge  is  furnished  with  a 
dwelling  house  or  apartment,  or  in  lieu  thereof,  a  sum  of  money  equal  to  eight  per  cent  of  his  annual  salary.  The  judges  are  paid 
their  traveling  expenses  in  coming  from  the  United  States  to  the  Zone,  at  the  time  of  their  appointment,  and  their  salaries  commence  on 
the  date  they  leave  home  to  make  the  journey  to  the  Zone. 

There  is  little  litigation,  and  the  cases  are  decided  promptly.  There  are  no  juries.  In  original  cases  where  the  penalty  of  death 
or  imprisonment  for  life  may  be  inflicted,  two  municipal  judges  sit  with  the  circuit  judge. 

The    power   of   the  executive   branch    of  the  government  of    the   Canal  Zone  is  vested   in    a  governor,  who  is  appointed   by  the 

137 


President   of   the    United    States,    and    in   other   officers    appointed    by   the  governor,      Spanish  laborers  in  Culebra  Cut.    Mr.  Maxwell,  of  Cincinnati, 

.,,_..,-,,_  ..  inspecting  them. 

subject  to  the  approval  or  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission. 

The  police  force  consists  of  a  chief  of  police,  175  officers  and  men,  and  seven 
clerks.  The  community  is  law-abiding  and  order  is  well  maintained.  The  amount 
of  crime  is  remarkably  low  for  such  a  large  and  heterogeneous  population.  The 
officers  of  the  Zone  report  an  appreciable  advantage  resulting  from  the  decrease  in 
the  number  of  saloons  in  the  Zone,  following  the  adoption  of  a  license  of  $1,200. 
Lotteries  and  gambling  were  prohibited  by  one  of  the  first  executive  orders  of  the 
President,  and  are  also  prohibited,  as  is  prostitution,  by  the  criminal  code  adopted  by 
the  Commission.  The  Commission  has  also  enacted  a  code  of  criminal  procedure. 

Educational   Facilities 

There  are  2,500  children  of  school  age  in  the  Zone.  Of  these,  1,531  colored 
children  and  206  white  children  are  enrolled,  and  about  700  colored  children  and 
seventy-five  white  children  are  not  yet  provided  for. 

There    are    thirty-one    teachers.     Of    these   twenty-one   are   white   women   from 
the    States,   nine    are    Jamaica    men  and  one  is  a  Jamaica  woman.     Text  books    and 
supplies    are    furnished    by    the    Government.      The    schools    are    conducted    almost 
entirely  in  English.     Separate  school-rooms    are   provided    for   the   white  and   colored 
children.     Education    is   compulsory,   and   the   Zone    police   aid    in   enforcing   attendance. 
Free  transportation  is  furnished  where  needed.     There  are  morning  and   evening   sessions  of 
three  hours  each. 

The  attitude  of  the  people  toward  education  is  in    most   cases  enthusiastic,   and  the  large 
proportion  of  the  pupils  are  apt  scholars. 

There  are  no  adult  or  evening  schools,  but    classes  may    hereafter    be    established    for  teaching  Spanish 
and    such  subjects  as  are  required  for  civil  service  examinations. 

The  pay  of  the  teachers  is  $80  a  month  for  twelve  months,  for  those  who  are   graduates  of  normal  schools  and  have  had  experience 
as  teachers,   and  less  for  those  not  so  well  qualified. 

Five    new    school    houses    are  to    be    built  and    more    teachers    are  to    be  brought  from  the  States  as    soon  as  accommodations  are 
provided  for  them. 


Moral  and  Religious  Conditions 


As  a  means  for  providing  for  the  religious  and  moral  welfare  of  those  in  their  employ,  and  to  protect  them  against  temptation 
by  furnishing  facilities  for  religious  worship,  and  for  entertainment  and  social  recreation,  the  Canal  Commission  has  authorized  the 
construction  of  eight  buildings,  in  as  many  different  localities  in  the  Zone,  which  are  to  be  operated  under  the  direction  of  the 
International  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Four  of  these  buildings  are  practically  completed,  the  one  at  Culebra  being  ready  to  receive  its  furniture  and  equipment.  The 
others  will  be  constructed  as  soon  as  the  first  four  are  opened.  Each  is  a  double  building  of  two  stories  and  extension,  with  spacious 
verandas,  social  rooms,  auditorium  to  seat  300,  billiard  and  pool  room,  library,  class  rooms,  bowling  alleys,  gymnasium,  baths  and  lockers. 

138 


GROUP  ON  HOUSING  AND  FOOD 

Reading   from    left    to    right:      Sitting  —  Edward    F.    Swift,     Perin    Langdon,     Robert    M.    Burnett     (Chairman),     A.    H.    Chatfield, 

Dan  C.   Nugent.     Standing — Clyde  M.  Carr,  Fred.  B.  Carpenter,  Stephen  L.  Bartlett, 

David  B.  Gamble,  L.  D.  Dozier. 


The  plan  of  operation  will  be  a  modification  of  that  followed  in  the  army,  navy  and  railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings  to  as  to 
tit  special  Isthmus  conditions. 

The  Commission  is  also  erecting  buildings  to  be  used  for  church  purposes,  providing  separate  edifices  for  Roman  Catholic  and 
for  Protestant  worship,  the  latter  to  be  used  jointly  by  various  denominations.  As  necessity  requires,  additional  buildings  will  be  erected. 

At  Ancon,  Culebra,  Cristobal  and  elsewhere,  chaplains  for  the  hospitals  have  been  appointed,  white  and  black,  Catholic  and 
Protestant,  whose  salaries  are  paid  by  the  Commission. 

Various  denominations  now  have  at  different  points  in  the  Zone  places  for  preaching  and  for  Sunday  School  work  ;  some  have 
acquired  sites  and  are  about  to  erect  independent  edifices.  In  Panama  and  Colon  there  are  additional  church  facilities,  but  they  are 
not  to  any  great  extent  patronized  by  Canal  Zone  residents. 

There  is  a  volunteer  committee  of  fourteen,  called  the  Visitation  Committee;  the  members  visit  the  hospitals  regularly  every 
Sunday  morning  from  eight  to  ten  o'clock,  reading  to  the  sick,  writing  letters  for  them,  and  performing  other  friendly  offices. 

There  is  also  what  is  known  as  the  Good  Order  Club  ;  it  has  now  twenty-three  members  whose  names  and  identities  are  not 
known  to  the  general  public.  These  gentlemen  aim  to  report  to  the  proper  officials  anything  which  they  observe  and  deem  inimical  to 
the  best  interests  and  welfare  of  the  Commission  or  of  those  under  its  control.  An  effort  is  being  made  to  extend  this  movement  to 
include  Panama  and  Colon. 

Recreation  and  Amusements 

It  is  evident  that  the  provisions  for  the  Canal  employees  is  inadequate.  The  early  completion  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  club  houses 
will  help  materially,  and  it  may  be  expected  that  the  theatrical  and  other  public  amusements  at  Panama  and  Colon  will  improve  with 
time.  Lack  of  means  of  recreation  has  been  one  cause  of  the  resignation  and  return  to  the  United  States  of  a  considerable  number  of 
employees.  The  Commission  is  evidently  alive  to  this  need,  and  has  taken  steps  to  make  conditions  in  this  direction,  as  in  others,  as 
favorable  as  possible. 

Baseball  grounds  have  been  established  at  several  camps;  great  interest  is  taken  in  the  game,  and  the  rivalry  between  the  clubs 
is  as  keen  as  it  is  in  our  leagues  at  home. 

The  gymnasiums  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  club  houses  will  be  sure  to  encourage  a  wholesome  attention  to  other  athletics,  and  they 
will  become  centers  for  all  such  interests. 

In  the  matter  of  music,  the  organization  of  the  Isthmian' Canal  Commission  band,  at  first  purely  voluntary,  was  soon  taken  up 
by  the  Commission  and  encouraged  by  an  allowance  of  extra  pay  for  attendance  on  the  weekly  rehearsals.  This  excellent  reed  band  of 
thirty-five  pieces  gives  frequent  concerts  at  the  various  camps  besides  playing  at  public  functions.  The  Commission  has  made  an 
appropriation  for  the  employment  of  a  professional  musician  to  take  charge  of  this  band,  as  well  as  to  establish  singing  societies. 

Among  social  or  benevolent  societies,  of  which  there  are  several,  may  be  mentioned  a  masonic  lodge,  a  university  club  a 
Panama  and  another  in  the  Zone,  while  the  excellent  Hotel  Tivoli  at  Panama  provides  still  another  center  of  social  interest.  Another 
hotel  at  Cristobal  and  possibly  another  on  high  ground  midway  on  the  Isthmus  seem  likely  to  be  required  in  the  future. 

The  reasonable  provision  by  the  Commission  of  facilities  for  social  enjoyment  is  a  wise  expenditure.  Such  facilities  will  aid 
materially  in  attracting  the  best  class  of  men  to  the  service,  and  in  keeping  up  their  morale  under  conditions  which  involve,  for  the 
greater  number,  long  absence  from  home.  LAWRENCE  MAXWELL,  JR.,  Chairman, 

CHARLES  L.  HUTCHINSON,        W.  W.  TAYLOR, 
ROBERT  BATCHELLER,  L.  A.  AULT, 

LAURENCE  MINOT,  B.  W.  CAMPBELL, 

CHARLES  H.  CONOVER,  HANFORD  CRAWFORD, 

JOHN  R.  MORRON,  GEORGE  M.  WRIGHT. 

141 


For  the  group  on  Housing  and  Food,   Mr.   Burnett,  as  Chairman,  presented  the  report,  as  follows: 

The  Subsistence  Department  on  the  Isthmus  furnishes  supplies  of  first-class  quality  at  reasonable  prices.  Mr.  Jackson  Smith  is  in 
charge  of  commissary  supplies.  Lieut.  Wood,  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.,  is  his  assistant  and  looks  after  issuing  same. 

There  are  no  restrictions  as  regards  diet.  The  purchaser  of  food  from  the  Subsistence  Department  has  the  choice  of  the  kind  of 
food  and  the  quantity  he  desires.  In  the  case  of  the  negro  laborer,  thirty  cents  per  day  is  deducted  from  his  pay  for  his  meals,  which 
are  furnished  him  cooked,  from  the  government  kitchens.  This  is  done  to  compel  the  negro  to  take  sufficient  nourishment  as  it  was 
found  he  economized  in  his  food  at  the  expense  of  his  health  and  strength. 

The  United  States  has  built  at  Cristobal  an  up-to-date  bakery  with  a  capacity  of  from  20,000  lo  30,000  loavec  daily,  and  bread 
of  first-class  quality  is  furnished  therefrom. 

There  are  three  grades  of  meals: 

First.  A  thirty  cents  meal,  served  to  Americans,  where  table-cloths,  napkins  and  glassware  are  provided.  This  meal  is  served 
by  waiters  in  the  hotels.  It  consists  of  the  following  dishes: 

Breakfast:     Fresh  fruit,  cereals,  bacon  and  eggs,  potatoes,  batter  cakes,  tea  and  coffee. 

Dinner   (at  noon):     Soup,  an  entree,  roast  beef,   pork  or  mutton,    (chicken  twice  a  week),  two  vegetables  and  dessert. 

Supper:     Cold  meats,  canned  or  dried  fruits,  tea  and  coffee,  bread  and  butter. 

Second.  The  forty  cents  per  day  meal  to  Europeans,  consisting  principally  of  rancho  stew  made  of  meat,  beans,  potatoes  and 
macaroni,  with  bread,  tea  and  coffee. 

Third.  The  thirty  cents  per  day  meal  to  negroes,  consisting  of  bread,  potatoes  or  yams,  rice,  beans,  fresh  or  cured  meat  or  salt 
fish,  tea  and  coffee. 

An  ample  supply  of  good  drinking  water  is  available  at  all  times  from  the  government  reservoirs. 

There  are  about  3,000  Americans  and  3,000  Europeans  who  are  fed  at  hotels  and  mess-halls,  and  7,000  negro  employees  who  are 
fed  from  the  government  kitchens,  making  a  total  of  13,000.  There  are  15,000  additional  employees  who  get  their  stores  from  the 
Subsistence  Department. 

The  Committee  thinks  it  important  that  fresh  vegetables  be  furnished  employees,  and  if  necessary,  believes  that  the  government 
should  undertake  truck-gardening  for  this  purpose. 

Some  complaint  is  made  as  to  the  cooking  and  the  preparation  of  the  food,  which  the  Committee  believes  is  well  founded,  and 
thinks  increased  attention  should  be  given  to  this  matter,  as  well  as  to  the  table  service  at  the  hotels. 

The  Committee  on  housing  employees  of  the  Canal  has  only  words  of  commendation.  It  gives  as  information  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Whole  the  following  description  of  the  different  houses  which  the  government  has  adopted  as  standard.  These  houses 
are  simply  but  comfortably  furnished: 

No.   1.     For  a  family.     Dining  room,   kitchen  and  pantry,  two  bed  rooms,  toilet  and  shower.     Porches  screened. 

No.  2.     For  two  families   (double  house).     Same  accommodations  for  each  family  as  No.   1  provides.     Porches  screened. 

No.  3.  For  officials'  family.  Dining  room,  parlor,  kitchen,  pantry,  store  room,  servant's  room,  toilet  and  lavatory  for  servant 
on  first  general  floor.  Second  floor,  three  large  bed  rooms,  drying  room,  shower,  toilet  and  lavatory. 

No.  4.  Bachelor's  house.  Four  rooms  on  each  floor,  two  stories,  with  shower,  toilet  and  lavatory  on  each  floor  detached. 
Screened  all  around. 

No.  5.     For  four  families.     Each  two  bed  rooms,   kitchen,   pantry,  toilet  and  shower.     Screened  all  around. 

No.  6.  For  one  family.  Two  bed  rooms,  kitchen,  pantry,  space  on  porch  for  dining  room.  Toilet,  shower  and  lavatory. 
Screened  front  and  back. 

142 


GROUP  ON  CLIMATE  AS  IT  AFFECTS  AMERICANS 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Sitting  — Jas.  E.  Mooney,  William  A.  Fuller,  Daniel  Catlin,  J.  G.  Schmidlapp  (Chairman),  John  M.  Clark, 
John  G.  Wright.      Standing  — Oscar  L.  Whitelaw,  Chas.   F.  Cutler,  Edward  Goepper,  William  B.  Lawrence. 


No.  7.     For  l>.ii  ln-lniv     Two  floors,  eight  rooms  each.     Shower,  toilet  anil  lavatory  detached.     Screened  all  around. 
Standard    laborers'    barracks,  consisting  of  room   30x40  feet,  table   down   center   with    benches.     Three  rows  of   standard  bunk>, 
forty-eight  in  all.     Windows  screened  in  front  and  back;  ends  screened.     Toilets,  five  showers  and  lavatory. 

At  each  important  town  a  station  hotel,  like  the  one  at  which  the  party  lunched  on  March  1st,  has  been  erected.  Dining  room 
30  x  100  feet.  Second  story  :  sixteen  large  rooms  16  x  16  feet,  eight  toilets.  In  another  building,  connected  by  piazza,  is  assembly 
hall,  billiard  and  pool  room,  and  above  dormitory  of  sixteen  small  bed  rooms  10  x  12  with  showers  and  toilets. 

There  were  over  2,100  dwellings  of  different  sizes  which  came  into  possession  of  the  Commission  from  the  French.  The  poorest 
of  these  were  destroyed  and  the  balance  have  been  repaired  and  put  in  first-class  condition.  The  government  is  adding  constantly  to 
the  number  of  dwellings,  and  is  constructing  many  at  the  present  time. 

The  excellence  of  the  housing  seems  to  us  one  of  the  striking  features  of  the  Canal  work.  Those  familiar  with  labor  quarters  in 
any  section  of  our  own  or  other  countries  cannot  but  feel  that  the  housing  offered  on  the  Isthmus  is  the  best  in  the  world. 

ROBT.  M.  BURNETT,  Chairman, 
F.  B.  CARPENTER,  A.  H.  CHATFIELD, 

CLYDE  E.  CARR,  DAVID  B.  GAMBLE, 

EDWARD  F.  SWIFT,  L.  D.  DOZIER, 

PERIS  LANCDON,  D.  C.  NUGENT, 

STEPHEN  L.  BARTLETT. 

For  the  group  on  Climate  as  it  Affects  Americans,  Mr.  Schmidlapp,  of  Cincinnati,  Chairman,  read  the 
following  report : 

After  making  such  inquiries  as  opportunity  offered  and  such  observations  as  the  length  of  our  visit  permitted,  we  feel  justified  in 
staling  that : 

1.  The  climate  is  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  that  of  any  other  tropical  region  of  similar  altitude. 

2.  Its  effects  upon  Americans  are  not  injurious. 

3.  We  believe  there  is  no  reason  why  Americans,  observing  proper  precautions,  should   not   be   able  to  live  in  the  Canal  Zone 
for  yean. 

4.  We  believe  there  is  no  climatic  reason  that  prevents  a  satisfactory  continuation  of  the  work   and  the   successful   completion  of 
the  great  undertaking.  J.  G.  SCHMIDLAPP,  Chairman, 

WILLIAM  B.  LAWRENCE,  CHARLES  F.  CUTLER, 

JOHN  G.  WRIGHT,  JOHN  M.  CLARK, 

WILLIAM  A.  FULLER,  EDWARD  GOEPPER, 

FRANK  J.  JONES,  JAMES  E.  MOONEY, 

DANIEL  CATLIN,  OSCAR  L.  WHITELAW. 

Mr.  Farwell,  Chairman  of  the  group  on  Efficiency  of  Labor,  was  presiding  over  the  meeting.  He  called 
upon  Mr.  Worthington,  of  Cincinnati,  to  read  the  report  of  that  group.  The  report  was  as  follows: 

The  labor  can  be  most  conveniently  classified  for  our  purposes  as  skilled  and  unskilled. 

Before  our  inquiries  upon  the  ground  we  had  supposed  the  supply  of  unskilled  labor  presented  a  problem  of  continuing  difficulty, 
but  we  were  assured  on  all  sides  that  this  problem  was  practically  solved. 

The  unskilled  lab  >r  now  employed  consists  in  the  main  of  West  Indian  negroes,  Italians  and  Spaniards.  A  considerable  body  of 

143 


Jamaica  laborers  in  the  Canal  Zone.  Greeks  is  expected  shortly.      These   white  men  are  sending  home  for  their  families 

and  friends,  which  is  encouraging  as  showing  their   liking  for  the  work. 

The  negroes  are  paid  thirteen  and  one-third  cents  silver  per  hour,  and  their 
meals;  the  white  men,  forty  cents  silver  per  hour,  and  they  furnish  their  own  meals. 
Every  laborer  of  each  class  is  furnished  lodging,  light,  fuel,  water  and  hospital 
service  free  of  charge. 

Nine  hours  constitute  a  day's  work,  viz:  from  6:30  to  11:30  a.  m.  and  from 
1  to  5  p.  m. 

The  difference  above  mentioned  in  the  scale  of  wages  indicates  a  marked 
difference  in  the  efficiency  of  the  work ;  and  if  the  comparative  results  achieved 

^A  were  correctly  stated  to  us,  the  negro   is  the  better  paid  of  the  two.     For,  reducing 

these  figures  to  a  common  basis  by  taking  gold  to  silver  at  two  to  one,  according 
to  Isthmian  usage,  and  counting  the  white  man's  meals  at  forty  cents  gold  per 
day,  at  which  rate  he  can  procure  them  from  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  he 
receives  net  per  day  $1.40  gold,  while  the  negro  receives  sixty  cents  gold,  thus 
making  a  ratio  of  two  and  one-third  to  one,  while  the  comparative  ratio  of 
efficiency  in  work  as  given  us  is  approximately  three  to  one. 

The    reasons    assigned    for   the   greater   efficiency   of    the   white    laborer   are 
greater  intelligence,  physical  strength,  endurance  and  vitality.     When  instructed  as 
to  a  new  piece  of  routine  work  the   lesson   lasts  and  needs  no  repetition,  while  the 
negro   needs  constant   supervision.     The   white   man   attacks   his   work  more  vigorously 
and  he  keeps  in  good  health.     This  matter  of   health   has  led  to  requiring  the  negro  to 
eat  the  food  supplied  by  the  Canal    Commission    as,   when    left    to    his    own    desires,   he 
preferred  the  toothsome  but  innutritious    yam  to  the  strength-giving  bean.     As  a  result,  the  efficiency  of 
the  negro  has  greatly  increased  and  [he  has  worked    more  steadily.     The  President  having  recommended 
the  change,  it  is  interesting  to  note  what  has  been  accomplished. 

No  trouble  has  been  experienced  lately  in  getting  an  adequate  supply  of  each  class  of  labor,  and  none  is  now  anticipated.  Of 
course  the  force  must  be  constantly  recruited  to  keep  up  with  the  present  demands  as  well  as  to  be  prepared  for  the  future. 

It  is  estimated  that  over  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  black  force  has  changed  during  the  year;  and  yet,  while  over  ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  the  whites  in  a  given  force  can  be  relied  on  for  constant  service,  less  than  seventy  per  cent,  of  the  negroes  will  be  available. 

We  were  assured  that  the  force  now  on  hand  was  as  large  as  could  be  profitably  employed  with  the  present  equipment.  An 
increase  in  cars  and  tracks  will  open  the  field  for  more  men  ;  but  there  seems  no  doubt  that  men,  white  and  black,  can  be  obtained  in 
sufficient  numbers  as  needed.  We  say,  "white  and  black"  for  two  reasons: 

First.  Because  we  were  assured  that  notwithstanding  the  superiority  of  white  labor  by  every  test,  it  is  desirable  to  employ  both 
kinds  to  prevent  each  from  fancying  it  could  control  the  situation. 

Second.  Because  Chinese  labor  is  not  wanted.  While  the  Chinese  coolie  would  meet  every  requirement  of  intelligence,  strength 
and  vitality,  yet  his  introduction  would  lead  to  difficulties  of  administration  and  segregation  which  it  seems  desirable  to  avoid  unless 
the  confronting  of  the  subject  becomes  necessary. 

The  only  serious  trouble  now  noticed  is  the  difficulty  of  securing  efficient  gang  bosses  from  the  ranks,  the  general  scale  of 
intelligence  not  being  quite  equal  to  this  demand. 

146 


GROUP  ON  EFFICIENCY  OF  LABOR 

Reading    from    left   to    right:      Sitting  —  Jas.  A.  Green,    William  Worthington,    D.  B.  Meacham,   John  V.  Farwell,  Jr.   (Chairman), 

J.    W.    G.    Cofran,    H.    J.    McFarland.      Standing  — Murray    Carleton,    W.    D.    Mandell, 

Nathaniel  Henchman  Davis,  Charles  S.  Dennison. 


Passing  now  to  the  skilled  labor :  this  force  has  been  recruited  almost  entirely  from  the  United  States.  The  method  now  employed 
to  secure  it  is  by  employment  agencies  at  home.  Inquiry  is  there  made  as  to  the  qualifications  of  applicants,  and  on  arrival  the  men 
are  assigned  to  the  class  of  work  with  which  they  are  familiar.  Naturally  the  scale  of  wages,  which  includes  free  lodging,  light,  fuel, 
water  and  hospital  service,  is  higher  than  is  paid  for  similar  work  at  home. 

Eight  hours  constitute  a  day's  work  :  from  7  to  11  a.  m.  and  from  1  to  5  p.  in.,  and  each  man  is  entitled  to  forty-two  days 
vacation,  and  if  he  needs  it,  to  thirty  days  sick  leave,  on  full  pay. 

The  inducements  offered  have  been  sufficient  to  tempt  an  adequate  supply  of  competent  men.  Of  course  some  come  who  are 
unfitted  for  the  work,  and  others  who,  though  fit,  have  not  the  adaptability  to  meet  the  surroundings.  These  are  dismissed  as  soon  as 
their  deficiency  is  discovered.  But  the  good  man  stays,  is  pleased  with  his  work,  and  makes  more  money  than  he  could  at  home. 

As  vacancies  occur  in  the  higher  ranks  they  are  filled,  if  practicable,  from  below,  and  some  of  the  men  whom  we  met  have 
reached  their  present  positions  by  several  promotions  from  inferior  positions  in  which  they  had  proved  their  capability. 

The  chiefs  with  whom  we  came  in  contact  impressed  us  as  a  highly  intelligent,  picked  force  —  such  a  representation  as  might  be 
expected  from  pursuing  the  principle  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

We  made  inquiry  as  to  the  efficiency  of  the  labor,  both  skilled  and  unskilled,  as  affected  by  climate,  and  as  to  the  difference  in 
the  product  of  a  day's  labor  on  the  Isthmus,  compared  with  that  of  the  same  type  of  man  at  home,  and  were  told  there  was  practically 
no  difference  aside  from  the  allowance  already  mentioned  for  vacation  and  sick  leave.  That  this  will  continue  indefinitely  for  the  whole 
body  of  skilled  labor  may  be  doubted,  as  eighteen  months  or  two  years  seems  too  short  a  period  from  which  to  draw  such  a  conclusion. 
But  past  experience  proves  at  least  that  the  tropical  climate  has  not  the  enervating  influence  upon  the  efficiency  of  the  healthy  man 
interested  in  his  work  that  had  been  feared. 

Aa  to  the  unskilled  labor  there  need  be  no  apprehension,  for  the  climatic  conditions  are  those  to  which  the  men  of  that  class  are 
accustomed. 

We  asked  also  as  to  the  difficulties  in  handling  labor  from  insubordination,  strikes  and  other  troubles,  and  were  advised  that 
none  had  been  experienced  or  was  apprehended.  We  heard  of  but  one  organized  labor  union,  that  of  the  steam  shovellers,  consisting 
of  180  men. 

The  situation  is  so  different  here  from  that  in  the  normal  labor  market  that  the  occasion  for  such  troubles  is  not  likely  to  arise. 
There  is  but  one  employer  and  house  owner,  and  he  cannot  be  expected  to  furnish  lodgings  to  those  who  do  not  work.  Those  who 
quit  work  will  be  compelled  by  force  of  circumstances  to  go  elsewhere,  and  cannot  stay  and  intimidate  those  who  wish  to  continue. 

In  conclusion  we  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  sympathy  with  the  work  and  the  zeal  and  intelligence  of  the  men  with  whom  we 
came  directly  in  contact.  They  were  young  men  and  picked  men.  One  and  all,  they  spoke  with  unhesitating  faith  in  commendation 
of  the  plan  of  the  work,  of  the  ability  of  the  Chief  Engineer,  and  of  his  fidelity  and  zeal,  and  of  the  practicability  of  completing  the 
Canal  upon  the  lines  now  proposed. 

And  they  bore  witness  to  the  existence  of  a  like  faith  in  those  under  them,  and  of  competition  among  them  as  to  who  should 
make  the  best  showing  for  his  day's  work,  if  an  artisan,  or  for  his  squad  or  department,  if  of  higher  grade. 

We  believe  that  the  men  in  charge  have  solved  the  labor  problem,  and  we  have  only  words  of  praise  for  what  they  have 
accomplished.  They  have  created  an  esprit  de  corps  which  has  permeated  the  whole  body  of  men  under  them,  and  will  lead  to  a 
zealous  prosecution  of  the  work.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  spirit  thus  inculcated  should  be  fostered  and  encouraged  by  all 
in  whose  hands  the  execution  of  this  stupendous  task  will  fall.  JOHN  V.  FARWELL,  JR.,  Chairman, 

MURRAY  CARLETON,  D.  B.  MEACHAM, 

NAT.  HENCHMAN  DAVIS,          WM.  WORTHINGTON, 

H.   J.    MACFARLAND,  J.    W.    G.    COFRAN, 

CHAS.  S.  DENSISON,  WM.  D.  MANDELL, 

JAMES  A.  GREEN. 

149 


At  the  conclusion  of  the  reading  of  the  report,  Mr.  Campbell,  of  Cincinnati,  arose  and  addressed  the  Chair. 
He  said: 

"  There  is  one  point  in  this  report  that  seems  to  me  to  be  unreliable  or  incorrect.  That  is  that  the  skilled  labor  receives  higher 
wages  on  the  Isthmus  than  at  home.  My  information  is  that  skilled  laborers  receive  less  than  in  the  States." 

On  behalf  of  the  Committee,   Mr.  Worthington  replied : 

"When  you  take  into  consideration  what  they  get  free,  such  as  lodging,  fuel,  water,  light  and  hospital  service,  their  wages  are 
greater  than  at  home." 

Mr.  Farwell  added: 

"Engineers,  for  example,  on  the  railway,  receive  $180  a  month,  besides  getting  forty-two  days'  vacation  a  year  and  thirty  days' 
sick  leave,  if  needed." 

Mr.  McCormick  had  made  inquiry  on  this  specific  point.     He  said: 

"I  asked  Mr.  Beird,  the  general  manager  of  the  Panama  Railroad,  and  he  said  the  engineers  all  get  more  in  the  Canal  Zone 
than  in  the  United  States." 

Mr.  Goepper  ended  the  discussion  on  that  point  by  saying: 

"The  truth  of  that  statement  is  apparent;   if  they  did  not  get  more  they  would  not  remain  there." 


A  PANORAMA  VIEW  OF  THE  ZONE 

The  valley  here  shown  will  be  covered  by  Gatun  Lake,  twenty  miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide. 

150 


GROUP  ON  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CANAL  WORK 

Reading   from    left   to   right:     Sitting  — J.    T.    Carew,    L.    W.    Noycs,    Robert    Moore    (Chairman),    Thos.  P.  Egan,    H.    C.    Yeiser. 
Standing  — Cyrus  H.  McCormick,  Charles  W.  Durrell,  Henry  C.  Scott,  Harry  L.  Rice. 


For  the  group  on  Progress  of  the  Work,  the  Chairman,  Mr.  Moore,  of  St.  Louis,  read  the  following 
report : 

To  properly  understand  and  appreciate  the  progress  made  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  account  the  fact  that  less  than  three  yean 
ago,  when  the  government  undertook  to  construct  the  Canal,  there  was  no  organization  and  nothing  but  obsolete  tools  with  which  to 
work,  nor  was  the  type  of  Canal  definitely  decided  upon  by  Congress  until  June  30,  1906. 

Before  work  could  begin  in  anything  more  than  a  tentative  way,  it  has  been  necessary  to  make  new  surveys  and  plans ;  to 
organize  a  civil  government;  to  do  an  enormous  work  of  housing  and  sanitation;  to  practically  reconstruct  the  railroad;  to  order,  to 
transport  for  thousands  of  miles  and  to  assemble  the  largest  construction  plant  ever  brought  together ;  to  create  an  organization  and  to 
gather  an  army  of  laborers,  skilled  and  unskilled,  by  whom  the  work  should  be  done  —  an  army  which  during  the  wet  season  of  eight 
months  is  compelled  to  work  under  very  adverse  conditions. 

But  all  this,  though  not  yet  completed,  has  been  so  far  accomplished  that  at  the  most  important  and  critical  points  —  Gatun  locks 
and  the  great  summit  cut  from  Bas  Obispo  to  Pedro  Miguel  —  work  is  now  in  operation  at  a  rate  which  has  increased  from  178,000  cubic 
yards  in  July,  1906,  to  500,000  cubic  yards  in  February,  1907,  and  which  promises  in  a  few  months  to  exceed  1,000,000  yards  per 
month. 

Assuming  that  there  will  be  no  substantial  change  in  the  present  plans  or  methods  of  work,  we  see  no  reason  to  question  the 
estimate  of  the  engineers  that  the  Canal  will  be  open  for  traffic  in  eight  years,  /'.  e.,  by  January  1st,  1915. 

ROBERT  MOORE,  Chairman, 
CYRUS  H.  McCoRMicK,  C.  H.  THORNE, 

HENRY  C.  SCOTT,  H.  C.  YEISER, 

H.  L.  RICE,  THOMAS  P.  ECAN, 

LAVERNE  W.  NOYES,  CHARLES  W.  DURRELI., 

W.  K.  BIXBY. 

Mr.  Elihu  Thomson,  Chairman,  presented  and  read  the  following  report  for  the  group  on  the  Efficiency 
of  the  Plant,  including  the  Railroad  : 

The  economical  and  rapid  construction  of  the  Capal  depends  on  maintaining  its  construction  and  transportation  plant  at  its 
highest  possible  efficiency. 

Shops :  We  found  the  machine  and  other  shops  for  repairs  and  maintenance,  as  well  as  for  the  production  of  parts  needed  in 
the  work,  to  be  of  ample  capacity  and  to  possess  a  good  equipment  of  tools  and  machinery.  It  appeared  also  to  your  Committee  that 
the  men  were  well  adapted  to  operating  this  machinery,  and  the  force  was  sufficient. 

Docks  and  Terminals  :  On  the  Atlantic  side  the  dock  facilities,  including  conveyors,  appear  to  be  modern  and  ample,  and  the 
railway  terminals  well  arranged  for  storage  and  service  with  a  capacity  of  1,000  cars,  and  for  500  more  in  the  storage  yards.  The  same 
general  condition  of  things  seems  to  exist  on  the  Pacific  side. 

'RuilrnaJ :  Of  the  Panama  Railroad,  thirty-six  miles  have  been  double  tracked  and  stone  ballasted,  leaving  nine  miles  yet  to  be 
double  tracked;  the  total  mileage  being  forty-five  miles.  All  of  the  railway  has  been  relaid  with  seventy-pound  steel  rails.  A  crushing 
plant  for  making  stone  ballast,  with  a  capacity  of  900  tons  daily,  is  in  operation.  The  labor  available  seemed  ample  for  the  purpose 
of  operation. 

Railway  Equipment :  The  railway  equipment  of  locomotives  will  be  completed  when  the  orders  of  twenty  additional  locomotive! 
are  filled  and  those  on  the  ground  are  assembled  and  in  operation. 

153 


The  same  thing  can  be  said  of  the  car  equipment  —  but  at  present  there  is  a  great  car  shortage,  which  is  now  the  most  serious 
obstacle  to  rapid  construction.  This  refers  of  course  to  cars  intended  for  construction  and  dumpage.  While  some  of  the  French  car 
equipment  is  used,  it  is  to  be  replaced  as  soon  as  possible  by  the  modern  plant  for  the  reason  that  is  of  limited  capacity. 

Compressed  Air  Plant  :  In  the  compressed  air  plant  for  operating  drills,  hoists,  etc.,  there  are  twelve  compressors  of  2,500  cubic 
feet  of  air  per  minute  —  a  capacity  which  seems  to  be  ample  for  the  requirements. 

Coal  Shutes  :    The  coal  shutes  which  have  been  established  are  apparently  modern  and  well  equipped. 

Foundries:  There  are  foundries  for  making  cast  iron  castings,  in  which  the  principal  source  of  materal  is  French  scrap,  with  a 
small  addition  of  pig  iron. 

Operation  and  Earnings  of  Railroad:  For  general  information  it  may  be  of  use  to  note  that  the  commercial  freight  handled  per 
month  on  the  Panama  Railroad  has  increased  from  about  40,000  tons  in  August,  1905,  to  over  96,000  tons  in  January,  1907.  The 
cost  of  delivery  on  the  docks  per  ton  is  now  fifty-one  cents,  having  been  reduced  from  seventy-one  cents.  The  total  cost  of  operating 
the  Panama  Railroad  is  now  fifty-nine  per  cent,  reduced  from  eighty  per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts.  The  cost  per  ton  mile,  which  was 
in  December  1905,  $.0634,  was  in  December,  1906,  reduced  to  $.0422.  The  earnings  per  ton  mile  during  the  same  period  increased 
from  $.068  to  $.071. 

Steam  Shovel  Equipment:  The  steam  shovel  equipment  is  standard  and  we  are  informed  is  quite  effective  for  the  work  in  hand. 
So  far  as  known,  its  capacity  is  much  ahead  of  the  capacity  for  transportation  and  disposal  of  the  dirt.  It  is  in  fact  working  at  about 
fifty  per  cent  capacity.  This  it  is  expected  will  be  remedied  when  the  cars  and  locomotives  now  ordered  and  the  additional  trackage 
contemplated  are  in  full  service. 

Dredging:  Before  the  completion  of  the  Canal  there  will  he  needed  a  considerable  amount  of  dredging,  but  that  stage  has  not 
been  reached,  and  the  plant  for  it  cannot  be  dealt  with  here. 

Old  Plant:  While  some  of  the  French  machinery  is  being  used  in  the  interim,  most  of  it,  on  account  of  it  being  obsolete,  and 
of  limited  capacity,  has  been  abandoned,  and  when  the  plant  is  completed  with  its  modern  equipment,  all  the  rest  should  naturally  be 
likewise  abandoned,  as  it  belongs  to  a  period  more  than  twenty  years  back,  which  fact  forbids  its  economical  operation  at  the  present 
time. 

Men  :  So  far  as  we  could  learn  from  our  intercourse  with  the  engineers  and  the  people  in  charge  of  the  various  departments 
with  whom  we  came  in  contact,  they  are  capable,  enthusiastic  and  energetic  men,  and  seem  to  have  their  work  well  in  hand. 

Conclusion:  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  it  appeared  to  us  that  the  plant,  when  completed,  will  be  well  balanced  and 
capable  cf  being  used  economically  to  accomplish  the  work  for  which  it  has  been  established. 

ELIHU  THOMSON,  Chairman, 

E.  G.  COWDERY,  WALTER  H.  WILSON, 

R.  H.  W.  DWIGHT,  JOHN  OMWAKE, 

J.  B.  RUSSELL,  F.  A.  GEIER, 

W.  J.  CHALMERS,  J.  T.  CAREW, 

ROLLA  WELLS,  J.  D.  BASCOM. 

As  the  reading  of  the  reports  progressed,  the  satisfaction  of  the  general  body  with  the  work  performed  by 
the  groups  was  shown  in  frequent  and  emphatic  applause.  Each  report  was  passed  upon  by  a  motion  to  accept, 
which  was  carried  unanimously.  When  the  last  report  was  accepted,  Mr.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  said : 

"Gentlemen,  I    do   not    know    how   these    reports    impress   you,    but    I    feel    like    paying   my    respects   to   the   Committee  which 

154 


GROUP  ON  EFFICIENCY  OF  THE  PLANT 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Sitting— R.  H.  W.  Dwight,  W.  K.  Bixby,   Rolla  Wells,  Elihu  Thomson    (Chairman),  Wm.  J.  Chalmers, 
Jos.  B.  Russell.     Standing  — J.  D.  Bascom,  Walter  H.  Wils3n,  Fred.  A.  Gsier,  John  O.nwake,    E.  G.  Cowdery. 


outlined  this  plan  of  inspection,  and  personally  I  can  see  no  objection  to  authorizing  our  press  representative  to  give  these  reports, 
as  written,  to  the  public. 

"In  order  to  bring  this  matter  before  the  meeting,  if  the  stenographer  can  take  down  a  motion,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  make  one, 
if  you  will,  Mr.  Chairman,  recognize  me  for  that  purpose." 

Upon   being  requested  to  proceed,  Mr.  Francis  offered  the  following : 

The  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  having  visited  the  Canal  Zone,  and  having  given  such 
inspection  to  the  work  as  their  time  permitted,  and  having  been  pleased  with  the  progress  of  the  work,  give  the  following  as  their 
conclusions : 

That  the  decision  of  the  United  States  to  connect  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  by  a  Canal  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama  was  wise  and  timely. 

That  the  purchase  by  the  United  States  of  all  of  the  rights  and  property  of  the  Panama  Canal  Company  for  a  consideration  of 
$40,000,000  was  a  judicious  investment. 

That  this  great  undertaking  should  be  considered  a  national  enterprise  in  which  every  American  citizen  should  cherish  a 
proprietary  interest. 

That  the  work  should  be  pushed  with  all  possible  vigor  to  the  earliest  practicable  completion,  and  such  means  should  be 
provided  and  such  instrumentalities  should  be  employed  as  will  conduce  most  effectually  to  that  end. 

As  Mr.  Francis  resumed  his  seat  Mr.  Bixby,  of  St.  Louis,  arose  and  said: 

"  I  would  like  to  ask  Governor  Francis  if  he  would  not  include  in  his  motion  an  endorsement  of  the  lock  system  on  the  Canal." 

Mr.  Francis  replied: 

"I  thought  the  report  as  it  now  reads  on  that  point  would  be  sufficient.  However,  if  you  wish  another  sentence  in  my  motion 
specifically  endorsing  the  lock  system,  I  have  no  objection  to  inserting  it.  While  I  never  professed  to  know  which  would  be  preferable,  I 
was  inclined,  until  coming  to  Panama,  to  favor  a  sea  level  Canal,  but  since  going  over  the  ground  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  conclusion  to 
construct  an  eighty-rive-foot  lock  system  Canal  is  a  wise  one." 

Mr.  Wulsin  doubted  the  desirability  of  including  such  an  endorsement  in  Mr.  Francis'  resolution.  He 
said  : 

"The  Committee  on  Plan  of  Management,  while  desiring  to  limit  themselves,  according  to  the  instructions  of  the  General 
Committee,  and  to  the  expressions  made  at  the  meeting  that  we  hesitate  to  undertake  in  our  brief  visit  to  discuss  and  express  opinion  upon 
engineering  problems  which  have  been  referred  to  and  considered  by  the  eminent  engineers  the  President  called  together,  nevertheless  did 
go  this  far: 

"  We  regard  its  (the  Canal's)  successful  completion,  according  to  the  plan  adopted  for  an  eighty-five-foot  lock  Canal,  as  absolutely 
assured." 

"Speaking  for  myself  personally,  I  wonder  whether  it  is  wise  for  us  to  do  more  than  to  say  that  from  what  we  saw  we  believe  an 
eighty-five-foot  lock  Canal  is  all  right.  I  do  not  like  to  see  the  Commercial  Clubs  announce  conclusions  and  judgments  on  a  matter  of  this 
kind.  Maybe  I  am  too  much  a  man  of  impressions." 

The  Francis  resolutions,  being  submitted  to  the  meeting,  were  adopted  without  a  dissenting  vote. 

Mr.  Schmidlapp,  of  Cincinnati,  claimed  attention: 

"  Befoie  we  adjourn,"  he  said,  "I  should  like  to  ask  whether  anyone  made  inquiry  as  to  whether  the  work  could  progress  more 
rapidly  by  using  night  shifts.  Did  anyone  inform  himself  on  that  point?" 

157 


Mr.  Moore,  Chairman  of  the  group  on  the  Progress  of  the  Canal  Work,  had  made  such  inquiries.  In 
reply  to  Mr.  Schmidlapp's  question  he  stated: 

"I  did  make  such  inquiry  and  was  told  that  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  management,  when  they  get  the  additional  equipment  now 
ordered,  and  also  an  electric  plant  to  light  up  for  night  work,  to  put  on  a  night  force  where  it  can  be  done  economically  and  effectively. 
Until  then  they  cannot  do  anything  of  that  sort.  Furthermore,  when  work  on  the  Gatun  locks,  which  is  likely  to  be  a  sticking  point,  is 
begun,  it  is  their  purpose  to  continue  the  work  without  intermission  or  cessation  night  and  day  until  completed." 

Mr.  Chalmers,  of  Chicago,  made  the  following  suggestion : 

"  As  there  has  been  so  much  question,"  he  said,  "in  the  States  about  the  progress  of  the  work,  I  think  some  statement  ought  to  be 
included  in  this  report  concerning  the  increase  in  the  excavation  from  the  Culebra  Cut.  I  am  informed  that  in  January  that  excavation 
amounted  to  500,000  cubic  yards,  in  February  to  650,000  cubic  yards,  and  that  in  March  it  will  probably  reach  1,000,000  cubic  yards." 

Mr.  Ryerson  brought  the  matter  of  disposition  of  the  reports  to  a  point.      He  said: 

"  In  order  to  cover  these  various  questions  that  have  been  raised,  would  it  not  be  well  to  have  the  chairmen  of  the  several  groups 
constitute  a  committee  to  assemble  these  reports  and  prepare  something  that  will  cover  all  of  the  points  brought  up.  I  move  that  such  a 
committee  be  appointed  —  a  committee  consisting  of  the  eight  group  chairmen." 

Before  this  motion  was  put  to  a  vote,  Mr.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  was  recognized  : 

"  I  have  no  objection,"  said  he,  "to  such  a  motion.  I  do  not  want  to  throw  any  firebrands  into  this  meeting.  There  is  one  very 
important  question,  however,  which  has  not  been  touched  upon  here,  and  which  this  Committee  might  consider  and  report  upon,  and  that 
is,  whether  in  the  judgment  of  the  members  of  this  party,  it  is  wise  for  the  government  to  continue  this  work  itself,  or  whether  it  would  be 
better  to  let  it  by  contract." 

The  motion  of  Mr.  Ryerson  was  seconded  and  carried. 

Mr.  Davis,  of  Cincinnati,  said  : 

"I  move  that  these  reports  as  they  now  read  be  put  together  and  made  to  dovetail  into  each  other,  and  that  no  new  matter  be 
included  in  them." 

The  motion  was  duly  seconded  and  carried. 

The  meeting  adjourned. 


158 


DRILLING  FOR  THE  BLASTS  IN  CULEBRA  CUT 


The  Report  to  the  Clubs 

THE  group    chairmen  met   in   accordance    with    the   instructions  of    the    meeting   of    the   whole  body   and 
prepared  a  general  report,  made  up  of  the  group  reports,  with  an  introduction. 
A  general  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Clubs  was  held  in  the  dining  saloon  the  day  before  the 
"  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "   reached   Charleston.     Mr.   Farwell,  presiding,  read   the   introduction   and  laid  before 
the  meeting  the  general  report. 

On  motion  the  introduction  was  approved.     On  motion  the  report  was  adopted  and  ordered  to  be  presented 
to  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis. 
The  introduction  and  the  general  report  follow: 

Members  of  the  Commercial  Club:  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  who  have  just  returned  from  a  trip  to 
Panama,  have  united  in  a  report  of  their  observations  for  submission  to  their  Clubs.  The  members  participating  in  the  trip 
numbered  eighty-six,  divided  about  evenly  among  the  four  Clubs.  They  chartered  a  steamer,  the  "  PRIXZ  JOACHIM,"  paid  all  of  their 
bills  on  the  Isthmus,  and  asked  no  favors,  other  than  to  be  given  a  fair  opportunity  to  see  for  themselves  what  were  the  conditions 
and  the  progress  of  the  work. 

On  the  way  to  Colon  the  members  held  several  meetirigs  and  discussed  ways  and  means  to  make  the  observation  systematic 
and  to  cover  as  much  ground  as  possible  in  the  time  to  be  spent  on  the  Isthmus.  A  special  Committee  reported  a  plan  of 
action  by  which  the  membership  was  to  be  divided  into  groups,  each  group  having  a  Chairman.  Eight  of  these  groups  were 
suggested  for  the  following  lines  of  observation  and  inquiry: 

1.  Plan  of  Management. 

2.  Sanitary  and   Hygienic  Conditions. 

3.  Social  and  Racial  Conditions,  including  Ethical  and  Welfare  Question;. 

4.  Housing  and  Food. 

5.  Climate  as  it  Affects  Americans. 

6.  Efficiency  of  the  Labor. 

7.  Efficiency  of  the  Plant,  including  the  Railroad. 

8.  Progress  of  the  Work. 

These  divisions  were  approved.  The  members  were  divided  into  eight  groups  of  ten  or  eleven  members  each,  regard  being 
had  to  the  wishes  and  special  qualifications  of  members  in  their  assignment  to  the  groups. 

161 


During  their  stay  upon  the  Isthmus  the  groups,  beside  inspecting  the  conditions  and  work  generally,  sought  out  officials  who 
could  specifically  inform  them  upon  the  subjects  in  which  they  were  most  interested.  They  visited  the  departments  and  the  localities  to 
which  these  special  lines  of  inquiry  pertained.  Several  of  the  groups  sub-divided  their  subjects  and  separated  into  sub-committees. 

Learning,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  party,  that  this  systematic  observation  was  planned,  the  officials  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission,  from  the  Chief  Engineer  down,  co-operated  heartily,  in  every  way  possible,  throughout  the  entire  stay  on  the  Isthmus,  to 
aid  the  members  of  the  Clubs  in  carrying  out  the  plan. 

By  the  course  pursued  the  members  multiplied  many  times  the  effectiveness  of  their  inspection,  as  compared  with  what  would 
have  been  the  results  of  the  visit  without  organization  or  division  of  the  subject. 

After  the  departure  from  Colon  the  groups  held  meetings.  Members  compared  among  themselves  the  information  obtained  and 
the  impressions  formed. 

At  a  general  meeting  of  the  members  held  on  board  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  the  groups  presented  their  reports,  which  were 
discussed  and  accepted.  These  group  reports  were  embodied  by  the  chairmen  of  the  several  groups  in  a  general  report  to  be  submitted 
to  the  Clubs,  as  follows: 

Plan  of  Management :  In  the  prosecution  of  a  great  undertaking  the  first  and  most  important  preliminary  is  the  securing  of  an 
organization  for  doing  the  work  efficiently,  expeditiously  and  economically. 

We  have  given  as  careful  consideration  as  the  limited  time  at  our  command  would  permit,  to  the  details  of  this  organization  and 
the  general  plan  of  management.  Our  observation  of  the  operations  under  the  organization  convinces  us  that  it  is  an  admirable  one  for 
its  purpose.  The  time  spent  in  completing  it  has  not  been  misspent.  The  evidences  of  good  results,  already  apparent,  should  steadily 
increase  as  the  work  progresses.  The  officials  appear  to  us  to  be  of  a  high  order  as  to  character  and  ability.  They  seem  to  work  in 
harmony  with  each  other,  to  be  enthusiastically  loyal  to  their  chief.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  any  body  a  better  esprit  de  corps. 

There  was  universal  expression  of  regret  among  them  at  the  recent  resignation  of  the  Chief  Engineer,  Mr.  John  F.  Stevens.  It 
seems  unfortunate  that  circumstances  should  have  necessitated  this  change. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  the  plan  of  management  provided  in  the  first  place  for  the  thorough  sanitation  of  the  Canal 
Zone  and  of  Colon  and  Panama.  The  successful  accomplishment  of  this  has  apparently  made  the  Isthmus  so  healthful  that  the  great 
work  of  construction  is  now  carried  on  without  serious  hindrance  by  climatic  conditions.  We  regard  its  successful  completion,  according 
to  the  plan  adopted  for  an  eighty-five-foot  lock  Canal,  as  absolutely  assured. 

Sanitation :    We  divide  this  subject  under  three  heads  : 

1.  Water  supply  and  drainage. 

2.  Street  department. 

3.  General  sanitation  of  the  Zone,  Panama  and  Colon,  and  the  buildings  in  them. 
Water  is  supplied  from  three  large  reservoirs  : 

1.  Located  ten  miles  from  Panama,  consisting  of  two  lakes,   having  a  capacity  of  500,000,000  gallons. 

2.  Located  at  Empire,  containing  250,000,000  gallons. 

3.  Located  three  miles  from  Colon,  with  a  capacity  of  580,000,000  gallons. 

These  reservoirs  are  supplied  from  water  sources  a  long  distance  from  towns  and  camps,  and  at  points  entirely  safe  from  the 
possibility  of  contamination.  They  are  formed  either  from  natural  lakes  or  rivers,  or,  as  in  the  case  of  Colon,  from  a  pond  made  by 
damming  a  stream  in  the  high  land  back  of  Colon.  In  all  cases,  analysis  has  shown  the  water  is  soft  and  contains  nothing  in  solution 
that  is  deleterious  to  health.  Filtering  will  remove  any  sediment  that  may  be  in  it.  Some  persons  prefer  to  boil  it,  however,  before 
using  for  drinking. 

162 


SITE  OF  GATUN  LAKE 
The  Panama  Railroad,  Chagres  River  and  Village  of  Gatun. 


The  supplies  for  Colon  and  Panama  are  adequate  for  towns  of  much  larger  area  and  population,  and  the  pressure  is  sufficient. 
There  are  about  twenty  miles  of  water  mains  in  the  City  of  Panama  and  ten  miles  of  pipe  leading  to  the  city. 

In  Colon  and  Panama  all  of  the  sewer  pipes  are  of  vitrified  pipe.  The  sewers  are  led  from  the  towns  in  the  Zone  to  rivers  and 
points  in  them  that  cannot  possibly  endanger  the  health  of  the  inhabitants.  In  Colon  and  Panama  the  sewers  run  into  the  sea  beyond 
the  low  water  mark. 

The  work  itself,  the  materials,  the  installation  and  the  plumbing,  are  all  good.  The  work  was  done  by  competent  head 
plumbers  and  skilled  labor.  In  a  portion  of  the  work  poor  material  was  used,  as  that  was  all  there  was  on  hand  at  the  time— but 
that  is  now  being  replaced. 

The  householder  in  Panama  is  taxed  for  water  and  sewer  connections  whether  he  has  them  or  not;  and  the  mains  are  piped  to 
the  curbs  of  the  streets  so  that  the  owner's  connection  requires  only  opening  under  the  sidewalks.  The  law  in  Panama  makes  the  bills 
for  water  a  direct  lien  upon  the  property,  but  in  three  cases  only  has  it  been  necessary  to  reiart  to  this  method  of  collectian.  With  t!ie 
introduction  of  running  water,  laws  were  passed  prohibiting  the  use  of  cisterns  and  the  collection  of  rain  water  for  domestic  purposes ; 
and  under  close,  regular  inspection,  this  custom  has  been  stopped.  Those  whose  houses  are  not  connected  with  the  mains  must  draw 
such  water  as  they  need  from  the  nearest  street  faucets. 

The  garbage  in  Panama  and  Colon  is  collected  daily,  and  throughout  the  rest  of  the  Zone  it  is  taken  up  at  least  once  a  week, 
and  either  burned  or  carried  out  to  sea,  or  to  some  point  where  filling  is  going  on  and  dumped  there,  and  the  next  loads  of  excavation 
cover  it  up. 

2.  The  roads  in  the  villages  are  treated  as  are  those  of  any  United  States  village,  but  where  there  are  to  be  permanent  settlements 
the  streets  will  be  paved  and  sidewalk'  made.  In  several  places  this  work  has  already  been  begun. 

Half  of  the  streets  of  Colon  and  Cristobal  have  already  been  paved  or  are  in  process  of  paving,  and  the  whole  of  this  work  will 
soon  be  completed. 


The  Reservoir  it  Empire,  about  half-war  acrost  the  Ifthmui. 
165 


We  were  also  informed  that  depressions  in  the  land  are  being  raised  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  stagnant  pools.  For  this  purpose 
the  government  is  supplying  the  material  for  filling  and  is  forcing  the  inhabitants  to  do  the  work.  In  such  cases  the  grade  will  be 
raised  from  three  to  four  feet. 

We  now  come  to  Panama,  which  we  think  in  many  respects,  has  become  an  object  lesson.  Two  years  ago  this  was  a  city  of 
mud  and  chaos.  Panama  has  about  twenty  miles  of  streets.  During  the  last  two  years  ten  miles  have  been  thoroughly  laid  in  vitrified 
brick;  seven  and  one-half  miles  in  good  macadam  and  concrete;  two  and  one-half  miles  remain  to  be  completed  after  the  drains  have 
been  first  laid  in  them.  There  are  concrete  curbs.  Panama  is  to-day  a  town  of  well-paved  streets.  These  are  not  flushed  except  by 
the  rain,  which  is  carried  off  by  two  hundred  sewer  inlets,  but  they  are  swept  daily,  early  in  the  morning,  by  machines.  We  doubt  if 
there  is  a  cleaner  looking  town  of  the  size  of  Panama  from  Maine  to  Texas. 

3.  With  regard  to  general  sanitation  we  can  say  that  we  have  seen  the  clearing  of  the  hillsides  and  the  burning  of  the  brush, 
making  broad  open  spaces  about  the  working  settlements.  We  have  seen  the  draining  and  the  rilling  of  the  marshes  near  the  settlements. 
We  have  seen  the  use  of  petroleum  in  the  pools  of  small  streams  that  must  for  the  present  be  allowed  to  remain.  We  have  seen  the 
draining  of  the  surfaces  of  the  hillsides  on  which  dwellings  and  other  buildings  stand.  We  have  seen  the  careful  screening  of  the 
houses  of  operatives.  We  have  seen  that  these  homes  are  built  on  posts,  that  the  ventilation  under  them  may  be  perfect.  In  our 
opinion  we  have  seen  more  suitable  and  better  built  and  more  comfortable  homes  for  laborers  than  are  provided  for  them  anywhere  else 
in  the  world  for  a  similar  purpose 

We  have  seen  the  hospitals  well  laid  out  and  supplied  with  every  necessary  appliance  for  first-class  work.  These  hospitals  have 
a  staff  of  about  fifty  physicians  and  surgeons  and  150  nurses. 

The  French  company  reported  only  those  deaths  which  occurred  in  the  hospitals.  Our  records  show  every  death  in  the  Zone. 
The  French  company  charged  the  contractors  one  dollar  per  day  for  every  patient  sent  to  the  hospitals,  which  resulted  in  the  sending  of 
as  few  as  possible.  In  the  opinion  of  Colonel  Gorgas,  not  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  actual  number  of  deaths  was  reported  under 
the  former  regime.  We  observed  many  little  graveyards  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  Canal.  In  these  were  the  graves  of  the 
unreported  dead  of  the  former  period. 

By  one  of  our  members  a  boss  laborer  was  heard  to  say  to  Colonel  Gorgas:  "Colonel,  I  was  up  at  the  hospital  for  a  week, 
and  they  just  treated  me  royally."  He  spoke  with  evident  and  sincere  gratitude. 

The  credit  for  this  great  sanitary  work,  which  has  made  the  building  of  the  Canal  possible,  is  due  to  the  scientific  and  executive 
ability  of  Colonel  W.  C.  Gorgas  and  to  the  devotion  of  his  entire  staff. 

Law  and  Order:  The  Canal  Zone  is  a  strip  ten  miles  in  width,  extending  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  over  which  complete 
and  exclusive  jurisdiction  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  Republic  of  Panama  by  the  treaty  of  November  18,  1903.  This 
jurisdiction  is  exercised  through  laws  of  the  United  States  passed  by  Congress  applicable  to  the  Canal  Zone,  the  executive  orders  of  the 
President,  which  have  the  force  and  effect  of  law,  and  by  enactments,  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Canal  Commission,  in  which  body 
is  vested  general  legislative  power,  subject  to  the  laws  passed  by  Congress  and  the  executive  orders  of  the  President.  The  laws  enacted 
by  the  Commission  are  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  President. 

The  first  Act  passed  by  the  Canal  Commission,  known  as  Act  No.  1,  to  provide  for  the  organization  of  a  judiciary  and  the 
exercise  of  judicial  power  in  the  Canal  Zone,  was  adopted  August  16,  1904.  Under  it  the  judicial  power  of  the  government  of  the 
Canal  Zone  is  vested  in  a  supreme  court,  circuit  courts  and  municipal  courts. 

The  municipal  courts  exercise  jurisdiction  similar  to  that  vested  in  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  United  States.  They  have 
jurisdiction  of  offences  where  the  punishment  is  limited  to  a  fine  of  $25  or  imprisonment  for  thirty  days,  and  of  civil  actions  where  the 

amount  in  controversy  is  less  than  $100. 

166 


THE  CHIEF  ENGINEER  EXPLAINING  MAPS  AT  LA  BOCA 

From  left  to  right:     In  the  center  —  John  V.   Farwell,  Jr.,   Chief  Engineer  John   F.   Stevens,    Benj.   Carpenter,  Thomas  P.   Egan,   Chas. 

W.  Knapp.     On  the  left  — C.  H.  McCormick,  W.  E.  Clow,  Wm.  Lodge,  L.   D.  Dozier.     On  the  right  — L.   W.  Noyes, 

F.    A.    Geier,    David    B.    Gamble,    Robt.    Batcheller,    David    R.    Francis,   James    R.    Carter. 


The  circuit  courts  have  appellate  jurisdiction  of  all  cases  arising  in  the  municipal  courts,  and  original  jurisdiction  over  all  other 
civil  and  criminal  cases.  They  correspond  to  the  nisi  prius  courts  of  record  of  the  United  States.  There  are  three  circuit  judges  each 
of  whom  exercises  jurisdiction  in  one  of  the  three  judicial  circuits  into  which  the  Canal  Zone  is  divided.  One  circuit  court  is  held  at 
Ancon,  one  at  Empire  and  one  at  Cristobal. 

The  three  circuit  judges  sitting  in  bane  compose  the  supreme  court,  which  is  the  highest  court  in  the  Zone.  It  has  appellate 
jurisdiction  over  the  circuit  courts  and  original  jurisdiction  in  mandamus,  certiorari,  prohibition,  habeas  corpus  and  quo  warranto. 

The  chief  justice  receives  an  annual  salary  of  $6,500  and  the  associate  justices  $6,000  each.  Each  judge  is  furnished  with  a 
dwelling  house  or  apartment,  or  in  lieu  thereof  is  given  a  sum  of  money  equal  to  eight  per  cent  of  his  annual  salary.  The  judges  are 
paid  their  traveling  expenses  in  coming  from  the  United  States  to  the  Canal  Zone,  at  the  time  of  their  appointment,  and  their  salaries 
commence  on  the  date  they  leave  home  to  go  to  the  Zone. 

There  is  little  litigation  and  the  cases  are  decided  promptly.  There  are  no  juries.  In  criminal  cases  where  the  penalty  of  death 
or  imprisonment  for  life  may  be  inflicted,  two  municipal  judges  sit  with  the  circuit  judge. 

The  power  of  the  executive  branch  of  the  government  of  the  Canal  Zone  is  vested  in  a  governor,  who  is  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  in  other  officers  appointed  by  the  governor  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Isthmian  Canal 
Commission. 

The  police  force  consists  of  a  chief  of  police,  175  officers  and  men,  and  seven  clerks.  The  community  is  law-abiding  and  order  is 
well  maintained.  The  amount  of  crime  is  remarkably  low  for  such  a  large  and  heterogenous  population.  The  officers  of  the  Zone 
report  an  appreciable  advantage  resulting  from  the  decrease  in  the  number  of  saloons  in  the  Zone,  following  the  adoption  of  a  license 
of  $1,200.  Lotteries  and  gambling  were  prohibited  by  one  of  the  first  executive  orders  of  the  President,  and  also  are  prohibited,  u  u 
prostitution,  by  the  criminal  code  adopted  by  the  Commission.  The  Commission  has  also  enacted  a  code  of  criminal  procedure. 

Educational  Facilities:  There  are  2,500  children  of  school  age  in  the  Zone.  Of  these,  1,531  colored  children  and  206  white 
children  are  enrolled,  and  about  700  colored  children  and  seventy-five  white  children  are  not  yet  provided  for. 

There  are  thirty-one  teachers.  Of  these,  twenty-one  are  white  women  from  the  Slates,  nine  are  Jamaica  men  and  one  is  a  Jamaica 
woman.  Text  books  and  supplies  are  furnished  by  the  government.  The  schools  are  conducted  almost  entirely  in  English.  Separate 
school  rooms  are  provided  for  the  white  and  colored  children. 

Education  is  compulsory,  and  the  Zone  police  aid  in  enforcing  attendance.  Free  transportation  is  furnished  where  needed.  There 
are  morning  and  evening  sessions  of  three  hours  each.  The  attitude  of  the  people  toward  education  is  in  most  cases  enthusiastic,  and 
the  large  proportion  of  the  pupils  are  apt  scholars.  There  are  no  adult  or  evening  schools,  but  classes  may  hereafter  be  established  for 
teaching  Spanish  and  such  other  subjects  as  are  required  for  civil  service  examinations. 

The  pay  of  the  teachers  is  $80  a  month  for  twelve  months,  for  those  who  are  graduates  of  normal  schools  and  have  had 
experience  as  teachers,  and  less  for  those  who  are  not  so  well  qualified. 

Five  new  school  houses  are  to  be  built  and  more  teachers  are  to  be  brought  from  the  States  as  soon  as  accommodations  are 
provided  for  them. 

Moral  and  Rtligious  Conditions:  As  a  means  of  providing  for  the  religious  and  moral  welfare  of  those  in  theii-  employ,  and  to 
protect  them  against  temptation  by  furnishing  facilities  for  religious  worship,  and  for  entertainment  and  social  recreation,  the  Canal 
Commission  has  authorized  the  construction  of  eight  buildings  in  as  many  different  localities  in  the  Zone,  which  are  to  be  operated  under 
the  direction  of  the  International  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Four  of  these  buildings  are  practically  completed,  the  one  at  Culebra 
being  ready  to  receive  its  furniture  and  equipment.  The  others  will  be  constructed  as  soon  as  the  first  four  are  opened.  Each  is  m 
double  building  of  two  stories  and  extension,  with  spacious  verandas,  social  room,  auditorium  to  seat  300,  billiard  and  pool  room, 

169 


library,  class  rooms,  bowling  alleys,  gymnasium,  baths  and  lockers.  The  plan  of  operation  will  be  a  modification  of  that  followed  in 
the  army,  navy  and  railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings,  so  as  to  fit  special  Isthmus  conditions. 

The  Commission  is  also  erecting  buildings  to  be  used  for  church  purposes,  providing  separate  edifices  for  Roman  Catholic  and 
Protestant  worship,  the  latter  to  be  used  jointly  by  the  various  denominations.  As  necessity  requires,  additional  buildings  will  be 
erected . 

At  Ancon,  Culebra,  Cristobal  and  elsewhere,  chaplains  for  the  hospitals  have  been  appointed,  white  and  black,  Catholic  and 
Protestant,  whose  salaries  are  paid  by  the  Commission. 

Various  denominations  have  now,  at  different  points  in  the  Zone,  places  for  preaching  and  for  Sunday-school  work;  some  have 
acquired  sites  and  are  about  to  erect  independent  edifices.  In  Panama  and  Colon  there  are  additional  church  facilities,  but  they  are 
not,  to  any  great  extent,  patronized  by  Canal  Zone  residents. 

There  is  a  volunteer  committee  of  fourteen,  called  the  Visitation  Committee,  who  visit  the  hospitals  regularly  every  Sunday 
morning  from  eight  to  ten  o'clock,  reading  to  the  sick,  writing  letters  for  them,  and  performing  other  friendly  services. 

There  is  also  what  is  known  as  the  Good  Order  Club  ;  it  now  has  twenty-three  members,  whose  names  and  identities  are  not 
known  to  the  general  public.  These  gentlemen  aim  to  report  to  the  proper  officials  anything  which  they  observe  and  deem  inimical  to 
the  best  interests  and  welfare  of  the  Commission  or  of  those  under  its  control.  An  effort  is  being  made  to  extend  this  movement  to 
include  Panama  and  Colon. 

Recreation  and  Amusements :  It  is  evident  that  the  provision  for  the  recreation  and  amusement  of  the  Canal  employees  is  inadequate. 
The  early  completion  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  club  houses  will  help  materially,  and  it  may  be  expected  that  theatrical  and  other  public 
amusements  at  Panama  and  Colon  will  improve  with  time.  Lack  of  means  of  recreation  has  been  one  cause  of  the  resignation  and 
return  to  the  United  States  of  a  considerable  number  of  employees.  The  Commission  is  evidently  alive  to  this  need,  and  has  taken 
steps  to  make  conditions  in  this  direction,  as  in  others,  as  favorable  as  possible. 

Baseball  grounds  have  been  established  at  several  camps;  great  interest  is  taken  in  the  game,  and  the  rivalry  between  the  clubs 
is  as  keen  as  in  our  leagues  at  home. 

The  gymnasium  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  club  houses  will  be  sure  to  encourage  a  wholesome  attention  to  other  athletics,  and  will 
become  centers  for  all  such  interests. 

In  the  matter  of  music,  the  organization  of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission  band,  at  first  purely  voluntary,  was  soon  taken  up 
by  the  Commission  and  encouraged  by  an  allowance  of  extra  pay  for  attendance  on  the  weekly  rehearsals.  This  excellent  reed  band  of 
thirty-five  pieces  gives  frequent  concerts  at  the  various  camps  besides  playing  at  public  functions.  The  Commission  has  made  an 
appropriation  for  the  employment  of  a  professional  musician  to  take  charge  of  this  band,  as  well  as  to  establish  singing  societies. 

Among  social  or  benevolent  societies,  of  which  there  are  several,  may  be  mentioned  a  masonic  lodge,  a  university  club  at 
Panama  and  another  on  the  Zone,  while  the  excellent  Hotel  Tivoli  at  Panama  provides  still  another  center  of  social  interest.  Another 
hotel  at  Cristobal,  and  possibly  another  on  high  ground  midway  on  the  Isthmus,  seem  likely  to  be  required  in  the  future. 

The  reasonable  provision  by  the  Commission  of  facilities  for  social  enjoyment  is  a  wise  expenditure.  Such  facilities  will  aid 
materially  in  attracting  the  best  class  of  men  to  the  service,  and  in  keeping  up  their  morale  under  conditions  which  involve,  for  the 
greater  number,  long  absence  from  home. 

Housing  and  Food :     The  Subsistence  Department  on  the  Isthmus  furnishes  supplies  of  first-class  quality  at  reasonable  prices. 

Jackson  Smith  is  in  charge  of  commissary  supplies,  Lieut.  Wood,  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.,  is  his  assistant,  and  looks 
after  issuing  the  same. 

There  are  no  restrictions  as  regards  diet.  The  purchaser  of  food  from  the  Subsistence  Department  has  the  choice  of  the  kind  of 

170 


food  and  the  quantity  he  desires.  In  the  case  of  the  negro  laborer,  thirty  cents  per  day  is  deducted  from  his  pay  for  his  meals,  which 
are  furnished  him  cooked,  from  the  government  kitchens.  This  is  done  to  compel  the  negro  to  take  sufficient  nourishment,  as  it  was 
found  he  economized  in  his  food  at  the  expense  of  his  health  and  strength. 

The  United  States  has  built  at  Cristobal  an  up-to-date  bakery  with  a  capacity  of  from  20,000  to  30,000  loaves  daily,  and  bread 
of  first-class  quality  is  furnished  therefrom. 

There  are  three  grades  of  meals: 

First.  A  thirty  cents  meal,  served  to  Americans,  where  table-cloths,  napkins  and  glassware  are  provided.  This  meal  is  served 
by  waiters  in  the  hotels.  It  consists  of  the  following  dishes: 

Breakfast:     Fresh  fruit,  cereals,  bacon  and  eggs,  potatoes,  batter  cakes,  tea  and  coffee. 

Dinner  (at  noon):     Soup,  an  entree,  roast  beef,  pork  or  mutton,  chicken  (twice  a  week),  two  vegetables  and  dessert. 

Supper:     Cold  meats,  canned  or  dried  fruits,  tea,  coffee,  bread  and  butter. 

Second.  A  forty  cents  per  day  ration  for  European  labor,  consisting  principally  of  rancho  stew  made  of  meat,  beans,  potatoes  and 
macaroni,  with  bread,  tea  and  coffee. 

Third.  A  thirty  cents  per  day  ration  to  negroes,  consisting  of  bread,  potatoes  or  yams,  rice,  beans,  fresh  or  cured  meat  or  salt 
fish,  tea  and  coffee. 

An  ample  supply  of  good  drinking  water  is  available  at  all  times  from  the  government  reservoirs. 

There  are  about  3,000  Americans  and  3,000  Europeans  who  are  fed  in  hotels  and  mess-halls,  and  7,000  negro  employees  who  are 
fed  from  the  government  kitchens,  making  a  total  of  13,000.  The  15,000  additional  employees  get  their  stores  from  the  Subsistence 
Department. 


ON    THE    HILI.    AT  GATt  X 
Eicavatinf  for  the  locks  which  will  rtite  ship*  to  the  lake  level  eighty-fire  feel  above  the  sea 

171 


We  think  it  important  that  fresh  vegetables  be  furnished  to  employees  and,  if  necessary,  believe  the  government  should 
undertake  truck  gardening  for  this  purpose.  Some  complaint  is  made  as  to  the  cooking  and  the  preparation  of  the  food  which  we  believe 
is  well  founded.  We  think  increased  attention  should  be  given  to  this  matter,  as  well  as  to  the  table  service  at  the  hotels. 

We  have  words  only  of  commendation  for  the  housing  of  employees.  There  were  over  2,100  dwellings  of  different  sizes  which 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  Commission  from  the  French.  The  poorest  of  these  were  destroyed  and  the  balance  have  been  repaired 
and  put  in  first-class  condition.  The  government  is  adding  constantly  to  the  number  of  dwellings,  and  is  constructing  many  at  the 
present  time.  The  houses  are  simply  but  comfortably  furnished.  The  buildings  have  porches  and  the  porches  are  screened.  Shower 
baths  are  in  every  house.  At  each  important  station  is  a  hotel  with  large  dining-room  on  the  first  floor,  with  large  rooms  on  the 
second  floor.  Connected  by  piazza  is  another  building  containing  assembly  hall,  billiard  and  pool  room,  bed  rooms  and  shower  baths. 

The  excellence  of  the  housing  seems  to  us  one  of  the  striking  features  of  the  Canal  work.  Those  familiar  with  labor  quarters  in 
any  section  of  our  own  or  other  countries  cannot  but  feel  that  the  housing  offered  on  the  Isthmus  is  the  best  in  the  world. 

Climate  as  it  Affects  Americans:  After  making  such  inquiries  as  opportunity  offered  and  such  observations  as  the  length  of  our 
visit  permitted,  we  feel  justified  in  stating  that: 

1.  The  climate  is  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  that  of  any   other  tropical  region  of  similar  altitude. 

2.  Its  effects  upon  Americans  are  not   injurious. 

3.  We  believe  there  is  no  reason  why  Americans,   observing    proper   precautions,   should    not    be    able   to   live   in  the  Canal  Zone 
for  years. 

4.  We  believe  there  is  no  climatic  reason  that  prevents  a  satisfactory  continuation  of   the  work    and  the    successful    completion   of 
the  great  undertaking. 

Efficiency  of  the  Labor:     The  labor  can  be  most  conveniently  classified  for  our  purposes  as  skilled  and  unskilled. 

Before  our  inquiries  on  the  ground  we  had  supposed  the  supply  of  unskilled  labor  presented  a  problem  of  continuing  difficulty, 
but  we  were  assured  on  all  sides  that  this  problem  was  practically  solved. 

The  unskilled  labor  now  employed  consists  in  the  main  of  West  Indian  negroes,  Italians  and  Spaniards.  A  considerable  body 
of  Greeks  is  expected  shortly.  These  white  men  are  sending  home  for  their  families  and  friends,  which  is  encouraging  as  showing 
their  liking  for  the  work. 

The  negroes  are  paid  thirteen  and  one-third  cents  silver  per  hour,  and  their  meals;  the  white  men,  forty  cents  silver  per  hour,  and 
they  furnish  their  own  meals.  Every  laborer  of  each  class  is  furnished  lodging,  light,  fuel,  water  and  hospital  service  free  of  charge. 

Nine  hours  constitute  a  day's  work,  namely:  from  6:30  to  11:30  a.  m.   and  from  1  to  5  p.  m. 

The  difference  above  mentioned  in  the  scale  of  wages  indicates  a  marked  difference  in  the  efficiency  of  the  work.  If  the 
comparative  results  achieved  were  correctly  stated  to  us,  the  negro  is  the  better  paid  of  the  two.  For,  reducing  these  figures  to  a 
common  basis  by  taking  gold  to  silver  at  two  to  one,  according  to  Isthmian  usage,  and  counting  the  white  man's  meals  at  forty 
cents  gold  per  day,  at  which  rate  he  can  procure  the  food  from  the  Canal  Commission,  he  receives  net  per  day  $1.40  gold,  while 
the  negro  receives  sixty  cents  gold,  thus  making  the  ratio  of  two  and  one-third  to  one,  while  the  comparative  ratio  of  efficiency  in  work 
as  given  us  is  approximately  three  to  one. 

The  reasons  assigned  for  the  greater  efficiency  of  the  white  laborer  are  greater  intelligence,  physical  strength,  endurance  and 
vitality.  When  instructed  as  to  a  new  piece  of  routine  work  the  lesson  lasts  and  needs  no  repetition,  while  the  negro  needs  constant 
supervision.  The  white  man  attacks  his  work  vigorously  and  he  keeps  in  good  health.  This  matter  of  health  has  led  to  requiring  the 
negro  to  eat  the  food  supplied  by  the  Canal  Commission  as,  if  left  to  his  own  desires,  he  preferred  the  toothsome  but  innutritious 
yam  to  the  strength-giving  bean.  As  a  result  of  this  policy  the  efficiency  of  the  negro  was  greatly  increased  and  he  has  worked  more 
steadily.  The  President  having  recommended  this  change,  it  is  interesting  to  note  what  has  been  accomplished. 

172 


AT  THE  FOOT  OF  SOSA  HILL 

Viewing  location  of  dams  at  Pacific  terminus  of  Canal.      On   the   extreme  left  are  Henry  C.   Scott,   Robert  Moore,   C.   H.   McCormick 

and  John  V.   Farvrell. 


No  trouble  has  been  experienced  lately  in  getting  an  adequate  supply  of  each  class  of  labor,  and  none  is  now  anticipated.  Of 
course  the  force  must  be  constantly  recruited  to  keep  up  with  the  present  demands  as  well  as  to  be  prepared  for  the  future. 

It  is  estimated  that  over  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  black  force  has  changed  during  the  year;  and  yet,  of  a  given  force,  while 
over  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  whites  can  be  relied  on  for  constant  service,  less  than  seventy  per  cent,  of  the  negroes  will  be  available. 

We  were  assured  that  the  force  on  hand  was  as  large  as  could  be  profitably  employed  with  the  present  equipment.  An 
increase  in  cars  and  tracks  will  open  the  field  for  more  men  ;  but  there  seems  no  doubt  that  men,  white  and  black,  can  be  obtained  in 
sufficient  numbers  as  needed.  We  say,  "white  and  black"  for  two  reasons: 

First.  Because  we  were  assured  that  notwithstanding  the  superiority  of  white  labor  by  every  test,  it  was  desirable  to  employ  both 
kinds  to  prevent  each  from  fancying  it  could  control  the  situation. 

Second.  Because  Chinese  labor  is  not  wanted.  While  the  Chinese  coolie  would  meet  every  requirement  of  intelligence,  strength 
and  vitality,  yet  his  introduction  would  lead  to  difficulties  of  administration  and  segregation  which  it  seems  desirable  to  avoid  unless 
the  confronting  of  the  subject  becomes  necessary. 

The  only  serious  trouble  now  noticed  is  the  difficulty  of  securing  efficient  gang  bosses  from  the  ranks,  the  general  scale  of 
intelligence  not  being  quite  equal  to  the  demand. 

We  pass  now  to  the  skilled  labor.  This  force  has  been  recruited  almost  entirely  from  the  United  States.  The  method  now  employed 
to  secure  it  is  by  employment  agencies  at  home.  Inquiry  is  there  made  as  to  the  qualifications  of  applicants,  and  on  arrival  the  men 
are  assigned  to  the  class  of  work  with  which  they  are  familiar.  Naturally  the  scale  of  wages,  which  includes  free  lodging,  light,  fuel, 
water  and  hospital  service,  is  higher  than  is  paid  for  similar  work  at  home. 


ANCON   HILL 
A  virw  (torn  the  Tivoli  Hotel  ihowinc  the  hoipilili.  with  the  Cilr  ol  1'invni  on  the  kit.  thr  Hicific  end  ot  the  C»n<l  on  the  ti(hl. 

175 


Eight  hours  constitute  a  day's  work  for  the  skilled  labor,  i.  e.  from  7  to  11  a.  m.  and  from  1  to  5  p.  m.,  and  each  man  is 
entitled  to  forty-two  days  vacation,  and,  if  he  needs  it,  to  thirty  days  sick  leave,  on  full  pay. 

The  inducements  offered  have  been  sufficient  to  tempt  an  adequate  supply  of  competent  men.  Of  course  some  come  who  are 
unfitted  for  the  work,  and  others,  though  otherwise  qualified,  have  not  the  adaptability  to  meet  the  surroundings.  These  are  dismissed 
as  soon  as  their  deficiencies  are  discovered.  But  the  good  man  stays,  is  pleased  with  his  work,  and  makes  more  money  than  he  could 
at  home. 

As  vacancies  occur  in  the  higher  ranks  they  are  filled,  if  practicable,  from  below,  and  some  of  the  men  whom  we  met  have 
reached  their  present  positions  by  several  promotions  from  inferior  places  in  which  they  had  proved  their  capability. 

The  chiefs  with  whom  we  came  in  contact  impressed  us  as  a  highly  intelligent,  picked  force  —  such  a  representation  as  might  he 
expected  from  pursuing  the  principle  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

We  made  inquiry  as  to  the  efficiency  of  the  labor,  both  skilled  and  unskilled,  as  affected  by  the  climate,  and  as  to  the  difference  in 
the  product  of  a  day's  labor  on  the  Isthmus,  compared  with  that  of  the  same  type  of  man  at  home,  and  were  told  there  was  practically 
no  difference  aside  from  the  allowance  already  mentioned  for  vacation  and  sick  leave.  That  this  will  continue  indefinitely  for  the  whole 
body  of  skilled  labor  may  be  doubted,  as  eighteen  months  or  two  years  seems  too  short  a  period  from  which  to  draw  such  a  conclusion. 
But  the  past  experience  at  least  proves  that  the  tropical  climate  has  not  the  enervating  influence  upon  the  efficiency  of  the  healthy  man 
interested  in  his  work  that  had  been  feared. 

As  to  the  unskilled  labor  there  need  be  no  apprehension,  for  the  climatic  conditions  are  those  to  which  the  men  of  that  class  are 
accustomed. 

We  asked  also  as  to  the  difficulties  in  handling  labor  from  insubordination,  strikes  and  other  troubles.  We  heard  of  but  one 
organized  labor  union  —  that  of  the  steam  shovellers,  consisting  of  180  men. 

The  situation  is  so  different  here  from  that  in  the  normal  labor  market  that  the  occasion  for  such  trouble  is  not  likely  to  arise. 
There  is  but  one  employer  and  house  owner,  and  he  cannot  be  expected  to  furnish  lodgings  to  those  who  do  not  work.  Those  who 
quit  work  will  be  compelled  by  force  of  circumstances  to  go  elsewhere,  and  cannot  stay  and  intimidate  those  who  wish  to  continue. 

In  conclusion  we  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  sympathy  with  the  work,  and  to  the  zeal  and  intelligence  of  the  men  with  whom  we 
came  directly  in  contact.  They  were  young  men  and  picked  men.  One  and  all,  they  spoke  with  unhesitating  faith  in  commendation 
of  the  plan  of  the  work,  of  the  ability  of  the  chief  engineer  and  of  his  fidelity  and  zeal  and  of  the  practicability  of  completing  the 
Canal  upon  the  lines  proposed. 

And  they  bore  witness  to  the  existence  of  a  like  faith  in  those  under  them,  and  of  competition  among  them  as  to  who  would 
make  the  best  showing  for  his  day's  work,  if  an  artisan,  or  for  his  squad  or  department,  if  he  was  of  higher  grade. 

We  believe  that  the  men  in  charge  have  solved  the  labor  problem,  and  we  have  only  words  of  praise  for  what  they  have 
accomplished.  They  have  created  an  esprit  de  corps  which  has  permeated  the  whole  body  of  men  under  them,  and  will  lead  to  a 
zealous  prosecution  of  the  work.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  spirit  thus  inculcated  should  be  fostered  and  encouraged  by  all 
in  whose  hands  the  execution  of  this  stupendous  task  will  fall. 

Efficiency  of  the  Plant,  Including  the  Railroad :  The  economical  and  rapid  construction  of  the  Canal  depends  on  maintaining 
its  construction  and  transportation  plant  at  its  highest  possible  efficiency. 

Shops — We  found  the  machine  and  other  shops  for  repairs  and  maintenance,  as  well  as  for  the  production  of  parts  needed  in 
the  work,  to  be  of  ample  capacity  and  to  possess  a  good  equipment  of  tools  and  machinery.  It  appeared  also  that  the  men  were  well 
adapted  to  operating  this  machinery,  and  the  force  was  sufficient. 

Docks  and  Terminals  —  On  the  Atlantic  side  the  dock  facilities,  including  conveyors,  appear  to  be  modern  and  ample,  and  the 

176 


THE  BACKBONE  OF  THE  ISTHMUS 
Where  the  heaviest  work  is  to  be  done  in  the  nine  miles  of  Culebra  Cut.     Gold   Hill  at  left. 


railway  terminals,  well  arranged  for  storage  and  service,  with  a  capacity  of  1,000  cars,  and  for  more  in  the   storage  yards.     The  same 
general  condition  of  things  seems  to  exist  on  the  Pacific  side. 

Railroad  —  Of  the  Panama  Railroad,  thirty-six  miles  have  been  double  tracked  and  stone  ballasted,  leaving  nine  miles  yet  to  be 
double  tracked;  the  total  mileage  being  forty-five  miles.  All  of  the  railway  line  has  been  relaid  with  seventy-pound  steel  rails.  A  crushing 
plant  for  making  stone  ballast,  with  a  capacity  of  900  tons  daily,  is  in  operation.  The  labor  available  seemed  ample  for  the  purpose 
of  operation. 

Railway  Equipment — The  railway  equipment  of  locomotives  will  be  completed  when  orders  for  twenty  additional  locomotives  are 
filled  and  those  on  the  ground  are  assembled  and  in  operation. 

The  same  thing  can  be  said  of  the  car  equipment  —  but  at  present  there  is  a  great  car  shortage,  which  is  now  the  most  serious 
obstacle  to  rapid  construction.  This  refers,  of  course,  to  cars  intended  for  construction  and  dumpage.  While  some  of  the  French  car 
equipment  is  used,  it  is  to  be  replaced  as  soon  as  possible  by  the  modern  plant  for  the  reason  that  it  is  of  limited  capacity. 

Compressed  Air  Plant  —  In  the  compressed  air  plant  for  operating  drills,  hoists,  etc.,  there  are  twelve  compressors  of  2,500  cubic 
feet  of  air  per  minute  —  a  capacity  which  seems  to  be  ample  for  the  requirements. 

Coal  Shutes  —  The  coal  shutes  which  have  been  established  are  apparently  modern  and  well  equipped. 

Foundries  —  There  are  foundries  for  making  cast  iron  castings,  in  which  the  principal  source  of  materal  is  French  scrap,  with  a 
small  addition  of  pig  iron. 

Operation  and  Earnings  of  Railroad — For  general  information  it  may  be  of  use  to  note  that  the  commercial  freight  handled  per 
month  on  the  Panama  Railroad  has  increased  from  about  40,000  tons  in  August,  1905,  to  over  96,000  tons  in  January,  1907.  The 
cost  of  delivery  on  the  docks  per  ton  is  now  fifty-one  cents,  having  been  reduced  from  seventy-one  cents.  The  total  cost  of  operating 
the  Panama  Railroad  is  now  fifty-nine  per  cent,  reduced  from  eighty  per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts.  The  cost  per  ton  mile,  which  was 
in  December  1905,  $.0634,  was  in  December,  1906,  reduced  to  $.0422.  The  earnings  per  ton  mile  during  the  same  period  increased 
from  $.068  to  $.071. 

Steam  Shovel  Epuipment — The  steam  shovel  equipment  is  standard  and  we  are  informed  is  quite  effective  for  the  work  in  hand. 
So  far  as  known,  its  capacity  is  much  ahead  of  the  capacity  for  transportation  and  disposal  of  the  dirt.  It  is  in  fact  working  at  about 
fifty  per  cent  capacity.  This,  it  is  expected,  will  be  remedied  when  the  cars  and  locomotives  now  ordered  and  the  additional  trackage 
now  contemplated  are  in  full  service.  , 

Dredging  —  Before  the  completion  of  the  Canal  there  will  he  needed  a  considerable  amount  of  dredging,  but  that  stage  has  not 
been  reached,  and  the  plant  for  it  cannot  be  dealt  with  here. 

Old  Plant  —  While  some  of  the  French  machinery  is  being  used  in  the  interim,  most  of  it,  on  account  of  it  being  obsolete,  and 
of  limited  capacity,  has  been  abandoned,  and  when  the  plant  is  completed  with  its  modern  equipment,  all  the  rest  should  likewise 
be  abandoned,  as  it  belongs  to  a  period  more  than  twenty  years  back,  which  fact  forbids  its  economical  operation  at  the  present 
time. 

Men  —  So  far  as  we  could  learn  from  our  intercourse  with  the  engineers  and  the  people  in  charge  of  the  various  departments 
with  whom  we  came  in  contact,  they  are  capable,  enthusiastic  and  energetic  men,  and  seem  to  have  their  work  well  in  hand. 

Conclusion  —  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  it  appeared  to  us  that  the  plant,  when  completed,  will  be  well  balanced  and 
capable  of  being  used  economically  to  accomplish  the  work  for  which  it  has  been  established. 

Progress  of  the  Canal  Work:  To  properly  understand  and  to  appreciate  the  progress  made,  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  account  the 
fact  that  less  than  three  years  ago,  when  the  government  undertook  to  construct  the  Canal,  there  was  no  organization  and  nothing  but 
obsolete  tools  with  which  to  work.  The  type  of  Canal  was  not  definitely  decided  upon  by  Congress  until  June  30,  1906. 

179 


Before  work  could  begin  in  anything  more  than  a  tentative  way,  it  was  necessary  to  make  new  surveys  and  plans;  to 
organize  a  civil  government;  to  do  an  enormous  work  of  housing  and  sanitation;  to  practically  reconstruct  the  railroad;  to  order,  to 
transport  for  thousands  of  miles  and  to  assemble  the  largest  construction  plant  ever  brought  together ;  to  create  an  organization  and  to 
gather  an  army  of  laborers,  skilled  and  unskilled,  by  whom  the  work  should  be  done  —  an  army  which  during  the  wet  season  of  eight 
months  is  compelled  to  work  under  very  adverse  conditions. 

But  all  this  —  though  not  completed  —  has  been  so  far  accomplished  that  at  the  most  important  and  critical  points,  the  Gatun 
locks,  and  the  great  summit  cut  from  Bas  Obispo  to  Pedro  Miguel,  work  is  now  in  operation  at  a  rate  which  has  increased  from  178,000 
cubic  yards  in  July,  1906,  to  650,000  cubic  yards  in  February,  1907,  and  which  promises  in  a  few  months  to  exceed  1,000,000  yards 
per  month. 

Assuming  that  there  will  be  no  substantial  change  in  the  present  plans  or  methods  of  work,  we  see  no  reason  to  question  the 
estimate  of  the  engineers  that  the  Canal  will  be  open  for  traffic  in  eight  years  —  by  January  1st,  1915. 

LUCIEN  WULSIN,  Chairman, 

ROBERT  A.  BOIT,  J.  G.  SCHMIDLAPP, 

LAWRENCE  MAXWELL,  JR.,  JOHN  V.  FARWELL,  JR., 

ROBERT  M.  BURNETT,  ROBERT  MOORE, 

ELIHU  THOMSON. 


THE   VALLEY  OF    BOG  WALK 
Showing  the  Rio  Cobre  River  and  the  Road  to  Spanish  Town. 


THE  BUSINESS  CENTER  OF  KINGSTON 
A  typical  scene  of  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  earthquake. 


Jamaica 


THE  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  reached  the  dock  in   Kingston  harbor  two    hours  after  dark,  instead  of  at  three 
o'clock    in    the   afternoon    of    Monday,    March   4th.      Delay    in    the    departure    from    Colon    was    partly 
responsible.     The  550  miles  sail  was  most  of  the  time  in  the  face  of  the    head   winds    from    the  north. 
The   mountains   of   Jamaica  were   sighted    before   dark,    but    the    pilot    was   not    picked    up    until   dusk. 
Entrance  to  the  harbor  was  made  with  great  care,  Captain  von  Leitner  having  in   mind   the    recent   fate  of  two 
good    boats   which    had    gone    on    the    rocks    near   Kingston  —  one  of  them   the  "  PRINZESSIN  VICTORIA  LuiSE," 
which  the  Commercial  Clubs  had  originally  expected  to  engage  for  their  cruise. 

With  uncertainty  as  to  the  arrangements  made  for  sightseeing  in  Jamaica,  the  members  of  the  Clubs 
watched  the  lights  of  Kingston  increase  in  number  and  strength  as  the  ship  approached  the  city.  Original  plans 
had  been  formed  before  the  earthquake.  It  was  not  known  to  what  extent  they  might  have  been  interfered 
with  by  the  disaster.  There  was  one  other  complication  about  which  the  Joint  Committee  had  kept  very  quiet, 
but  which  might  prove  serious.  The  authorities  of  Caribbean  ports  are  sensitive  on  all  matters  of  quarantine. 
Small  cause  for  alarm  shuts  one  port  against  a  vessel  coming  from  another  until  the  quarantine  period  has 
elapsed.  When  the  " PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  leaving  Porto  Rico  the  Joint  Committee  learned  that  a  case  or  two 
of  smallpox  at  Colon  might  prevent  the  landing  at  Kingston  or  at  Santiago.  Some  cabling  was  done,  and  the 
strongest  precautions  were  taken  before  the  ship  reached  Colon  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  contagion.  Orders 
were  issued  that  the  crew  must  not  go  ashore.  Fortunately,  when  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  reached  Colon,  the 
fear  had  subsided.  The  cabling  was  effective.  When  the  quarantine  officers  came  aboard  off  Kingston  no 
objection  was  made  to  the  landing  of  the  members  of  the  Clubs.  This  disposed  of  the  quarantine  complication. 
The  Joint  Committee  was  delighted  to  discover,  in  Captain  W.  P.  Forwood,  a  business  man  possessing  a 
degree  of  active  efficiency  unusual  in  the  tropics,  and  a  degree  of  humor  extraordinary  in  an  Englishman.  Mr. 
Robert  Batcheller,  of  Boston,  a  traveler  of  wide  experience,  of  the  Joint  Committee,  had,  from  his  knowledge  of 
Jamaica,  planned  a  most  agreeable  surprise  to  the  party.  The  success  of  the  plan  called  for  arrangements  in 
considerable  detail.  It  developed  that  Captain  Forwood  had  attended  to  all  of  these  preliminary'  details  with  such 
care  that  Mr.  Batcheller  was  enabled  to  give  the  party  a  day  of  delightful  entertainment.  The  twenty-four 
hours  in  Jamaica  passed  into  memory  as  constituting  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  days  of  the  trip. 

183 


While   the   steamer    was    getting    into  place    at  the  dock,  Captain 
Forwood    entertained    the    travelers    with    a    thrilling    narrative    of    his 
earthquake    experiences.     He    prepared    them    somewhat    for    the    scene 
of  ruin  which  was  presented  when  they  went  ashore  and,  between  ten 
o'clock   and   midnight,    walked   through  the    silent    streets.     Block   after 
block  showed  not    a  building  standing.     Walls  had   crumbled    and  gone 
down.     Where  the  walls  had  stood  were  windrows  of    brick.     If    there 
had    been  no  mortar  in  the  walls  the  shaking  down  could   hardly    have 
been  more  thorough.     In    some    blocks  the  wood-work  had  disappeared 
entirely,  licked  up  by  the  flames  which  had  swept  over.     Where  fire  had 
not  completed  the  devastation,  the  roofs  had  fallen  and  window  frames 
were  twisted,  the    glass    was    shattered.     This  was  the  business  district   of 
Kingston,  the  principal  city  of   Jamaica,  which    is    about    the   size  of  Long 
Island.     Wandering    beyond    the    business    center    to    the    residence    streets,    the 
visitors  saw  that  nearly  every  house  had  lost  some  part  of  its  architecture.     Here 
was   a   house  with   a    complete  front   but   with  both   side  walls    gone.     At  other 
places   the   rear   was  open.     Here   the   chimneys   had   fallen.     There   a  gable    end    had   been   shaken 
out.     Families  were  occupying  tents  in  their  side  yards.     A   house   at   first   seemed  practically   intact,   but  a  more 
thorough   examination   showed  that  it   had   been   shattered   and   rendered   uninhabitable.     The   park   was   a  city  of 
tents  and  hastily  constructed  shacks,  with  the   color  line    drawn — on  one  side  the  white  refugees,   on   the  other 
the   black.     Vacant    lots   had    their    colonies.     Such    was    Kingston    as    the    members    of    the    Clubs    saw    it    by 
moonlight,  on  the  night  of  their  arrival.     It   looked  no  better  by  daylight,  but  the  45,000  inhabitants  were  going 
about  their  daily  vocations  very  much  as  they  would   have    been   doing  if    the   city   had   been   whole.     The  street 
cars  were    running.     The    dark-skinned  coachmen,  with  perfect  English   pronunciation    and  manners,  were  at  the 
docks  with  their  hacks  to  hire  by  the  shilling.     The  market  was  a  jam  of  vendors  and  buyers,  with  an  overflow 
which   filled   the  surrounding  streets.     The   city  was  being  slowly,  very  slowly,  rebuilt.     Reconstruction  was  going 
on  perhaps   at   one  place  in  each  desolated   block.     Black  women  were  mixing  mortar  and  carrying  brick.     Black 
men  were  laying  the  walls.     Nobody  was  making  haste. 

Kingston  is  not  Jamaica.  If  it  had  been  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  would  not  have  tarried  long.  Kingston 
was  not  the  location  of  Mr.  Batcheller's  well-planned  surprise.  A  couple  of  hours  after  breakfast  a  train  was 
backed  down  to  the  end  of  the  dock.  Members  of  the  Clubs  had  their  choice  between  coaches  of  the 
American  style  and  the  English  compartment  cars.  The  first  fifteen  minutes  of  the  trip  carried  the  travelers 
beyond  the  squalid  outskirts  of  Kingston.  Then  came  the  plantations  of  bananas,  the  fields  of  pineapples,  the 

184 


THE  ROAD  FROM  BOG  WALK  DOWN  THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIO  COBRE 


Mr-  »•"">"'« 


'K0in  ?.»»."'  "  c 


sugar  estates.  The  dusty  plain  about  Kingston  gave  place  to  luxuriant 
vegetation.  Orange  trees  loaded  with  ripening  fruit  the  travelers  readily 
recognized,  but  the  breadfruit,  the  tamarinds,  the  spice  trees,  were  less 
familiar.  Beside  the  railroad  track  ran  a  broad,  deep  irrigation  ditch 
full  to  the  brim  with  water  clear  as  crystal.  The  arid  southern  part 
of  Jamaica  looks  to  the  northern  part  with  its  heavy  rainfall  to  divide 
on  moisture.  By  Mr.  Batcheller  the  members  had  been  told  that  their 
destination  was  Bog  Walk,  and  when  they  pressed  for  an  explanation  of 
the  name  they  were  told  that  Bog  Walk  was  the  popular  pronunciation 
of  the  Spanish  Boca  del  Agua,  which  means,  "Mouth  of  the  Water." 
The  600,000  African  slaves,  brought  over  to  till  the  soil  of  Jamaica 
before  the  British  conscience  was  aroused,  made  strange  work  of  the 
Spanish  names  they  found  on  the  Island. 

The  train  passed  out  of  the  plantation  belt  and  without  intervening 
foothills,  climbed  into  rugged  mountainous  country.  Jamaica,  narrow  as  it 
is,  only  forty-nine  miles  across,  has  mountains  7,000  feet  high.  Two  hours  •'J( 

out    of    Kingston    the    train    was    in    the   midst    of    wild    scenery    with    heavily   wooded  • 
mountains  all  about.     It  roared  through  a  tunnel,  came  out  beside  a  pretty  station  with 
a  little  park  surrounding.     And   there    was   the   Boca   del    Agua,    "  The    mouth    of   the 
Water,"   which   is  the    head    of    the    Rio    Cobre    River.     Carriages,    carry-alls,   and    automobiles  were 
waiting    for    a  ten-mile    drive,    the    charm    of    which   is   not   equaled   in   the  States.      It    is   well   to    see  America 
first    and    then    go    to    Jamaica   to    learn    what    a    good    road    is.      Mile    after    mile    the    decent    of    the    gorge 
of  the   Rio  Cobre  was  made    over    a    road    which    shared    with    the   rushing  river  the    space    between    the   two 
towering  mountain    sides.     Here    and   there   were    patches    of  rocky  cliffs    in    view,    but    for    the    most   part    the 
towering  slopes  were  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  plants  and  trees.      The  star  apple,   the  palms,  the  bamboo 
clung  to  the  mountain  sides  while  all  about  them  in  profusion  were  ferns  and  plants  and  vines  of    great    variety. 
'  This  is  like  riding  for  miles  through  some  vast   greenhouse,  "    was  the  way   Robert    McKittrick   Jones  of 
St.  Louis  described  it.      The  flora,  grown  under  glass  and  nurtured  with  so  much  care  in  the   States,  here  thrived 
riotously  out  of  doors. 

Winding  down  the  gorge,  each  curve  opening  up  another  fascinating  view,  the  road  was  a  succession  of 
gentle  grades  over  which  the  ponies  trotted  briskly.  Occasionally  the  road  crossed  over  a  stone  bridge  and 
changed  sides  with  the  river.  Well  up  toward  the  source  an  eight-foot  iron  pipe  gathered  a  strong  head  of 
water  and  held  its  growing  pressure  until  at  a  power  house  the  pressure  was  carried  into  another  kind  of  current 

1ST 


A  black  Aphrodite  discoved  by  Mr.  Green,  Mr.  Davis  and      — to    j,e   transmitted    bv   wire   down   the   valley.     These  Jamaica   roads 

Mr.  Gamble  in  the  gorge  of  the  Rio  Cobre. 

are  built  of  broken  rock  like  macadam,  but  a  natural  kind  of  cement 
completes  the  binding  and  gives  a  surface  almost  as  smooth  as  asphalt. 
The  Island  has  2,000  miles  of  these  roads  kept  in  perfect  condition 
by  continuous  repairing.  As  the  travelers  rode  down  the  gorge  from 
Bog  Walk  they  saw  here  and  there  the  little  heaps  of  material  placed 
for  repair  purposes.  They  saw  the  black  women  of  Jamaica  breaking 
and  assorting  stone  for  the  roadmaking.  The  ride  ended  at  Spanish 
Town,  the  old  capitol  before  the  days  of  British  occupation.  It  was 
amid  tropical  conditions  and  yet  through  a  country  that  differed  from 
Porto  Rico  and  the  Isthmus.  The  travelers  missed  the  royal  palms, 
but  they  saw  everywhere  the  all-spice  trees.  They  saw  more  kinds  of 
fruits  than  anywhere  else  in  their  West  Indian  journeyings.  They  saw 
flowers  and  ferns  and  orchids  in  endless  profusion.  They  saw  a 
population  in  which  the  dark-skinned  were  very  dark,  in  which  the 
proportion  was  fifty  negroes  to  one  white  person  —  the  great  majority 
being  a  gentle,  well  mannered,  easy-going  people,  doing  little  work, 
and  subsisting  upon  next  to  nothing. 

At  Spanish  Town   the   Cathedral   and   the  King's  House  were  visited.     At   the    Rio   Cobre   hotel,  a  quaint- 
looking   building    with   wide   porches,   with   lawns   sloping  away  front   and   rear,  with   oranges   and  lemons  on   the 
trees,    the   travelers    ate   a  Jamaica  lunch   of   half   a   dozen   courses,    including   dishes   novel   to   American    palates. 
They    were    given    revelations    in    the    marvelous    fruitfulness    of    Jamaica.       The    luncheon    menu    included    a 
bewildering  variety   of  fruits    and    vegetables.     But    there   were   strange   things   to   see,    not   edible,    gathered   from 
trees  and  shrubs  of  Jamaica.     Small  black  boys  were  waiting  in  front   of  the   hotel   to   sell   the  visitors   strings   of 
beans  and  nuts  of  many  sizes  and  shapes,  of  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  strung  like  beads  and  easily  mistaken 
for  beads  at  first  glance.      "Job's  tears"  was  the  fanciful  name  bestowed  upon  one  variety  of  these  hard  legumes, 
sombre  gray  in  color.     The  descendants  of  the   slaves   of  Jamaica   have   their  own   nomenclature.     The   origin   of 
the  Bog  Walk  has  been  mentioned.     "Wag  water"  is  the  Alta  Agua  of  the  Spanish  regime.     The  attention  of 
Mr.  Cowdery,  of  St.  Louis,  was  attracted  to  a  tree   with  a  long  narrow  leaf  which,    no    matter    how    slight    the 
breeze,  was  in  constant  movement.     He  asked  his  black  coachman  for  the  name  of  the  tree. 
"We  call  it  'woman's  tongue'   tree,"  said  the  driver. 
Mr.  Cowdery  looked  puzzled. 
"It  is  never  still,"  explained  the  driver  with  real  English  gravity. 

188 


JAMAICA  WOMEN  BREAKING  STONE  TO  REPAIR  THE  ROADS 


The   scenery    in    the    gorge    of    the    Rio    Cobre    was    that    of  Mr- Tirlor'  °'  <='«'""«•  "kin«  •  «'«« '"  *!„»«<>,,. 

vegetation  unchecked  and  riotous.  Occasionally  the  thatched  roof 
of  a  hut  was  visible  in  the  jungle  like  growth.  A  path  led  to  the 
road.  Little  black  children,  hearing  the  rattle  of  the  carriages,  ran 
out  to  cry  a  greeting  and  to  hold  up  fruits  for  sale. 

The  day  in  Jamaica  was  rounded  out  with  a  trolley  ride  some 
miles  to  Constant  Spring.  The  route  was  through  the  best  suburban 
section  of  Kingston,  past  the  villas  of  Kingston  officials  and 
merchants.  Upon  the  great  highway,  beside  which  were  the 
railroad  tracks,  there  was  much  life.  Black  women,  erect  and 
dignified,  strode  along  with  even  step  carrying  on  their  heads 
bundles  and  baskets.  Burros  with  enormous  panniers  went  by  singly 
and  in  trains  of  from  three  to  half  a  dozen.  Not  infrequently  the  man 

who    had    been   to  market  with   a  burro  load  of  fruit   or   produce    rode  **  C 

homeward,    sitting    well    back,    his    feet    hanging   over   the    front    of    the 
baskets. 

At  the  village  of  Half-Way  Tree,  a  few  miles  out  of  Kingston,  the  cars  stopped  long  enough  to  test  the 
superstition  which  these  black  people  have  against  the  camera.  The  members  obtained  some  snap-shots  of 
Jamaica  life,  but  the  women  and  children  were  rather  unwilling  subjects.  Frequently  they  disappeared  through 
convenient  doorways  and  gates  when  they  saw  the  camera  approaching.  Once  Captain  Forwood  followed,  and 
picking  up  a  five-year-old  girl  brought  her  out  to  be  photographed.  The  expression  of  apprehension  changed 
quickly  to  delight  when  the  coin  dropped  into  the  little,  black  palm. 

At  Constant  Spring  the  members  of  the  Clubs  were  almost  under  the  shadows  of  the  Blue  Mountains. 
Here  again  the  characteristic  of  no  foot-hills  was  noted.  The  gently  undulating,  fertile  land,  extended  from  the 
base  of  the  mountains  to  the  coast.  From  the  porches  of  the  Constant  Spring  hotel  were  views  embracing 
miles  of  charming  country,  much  of  it  in  cultivation,  if  that  word  can  be  used  to  describe  the  banana  plantations, 
the  coffee  and  spice  groves,  the  cane  fields,  the  orange  and  lemon  trees,  which,  season  after  season,  all  but  take 
care  of  themselves. 

Repeated  appeals  from  the  Joint  Committee  were  necessary  to  break  the  spell  of  the  Jamaica  charm  and 
to  draw  the  members  of  the  Clubs  from  the  grounds  of  Constant  Spring  back  to  the  cars.  At  5  o'clock  the 
whistle  of  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  blew  warningly.  When  night  came  on  the  steamer  had  left  behind  the  rocky 
coast  of  Jamaica,  made  more  uncertain  by  the  earthquake. 


191 


Cuba 


DON'T  talk    politics.     This    was  the    injunction  laid    on  the  members  of   the  Commercial  Clubs  as  they 
approached  Cuba.     The  prohibition  was  observed  from  the    hour  the  bow    of   the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM" 
poked  into  the  harbor  at  Santiago,  where  Hobson  sunk  the  collier,  until  the  last  look  at  Morro  Castle 
astern,   after    the    steamer    left    Havana.      The    Pearl    of    the   Antilles    was   viewed    in    all    lights    but 
that  of  politics. 

The  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  left  Kingston  just  before  dark  on  Tuesday,  March  5th.  At  sunrise  the 
mountain  range  of  Eastern  Cuba  was  in  view.  After  an  early  and  hurried  breakfast  the  voyagers  were  on  deck 
to  see  where  the  fleets  of  Sampson  and  Schley  stood  off  shore  day  after  day  waiting  for  Cervera's  fleet  to  come 
out.  The  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  was  headed  due  north  for  what  at  first  was  a  slight  gap  in  the  frowning  headland. 
Away  to  the  eastward  came  into  view  the  coast  depression  where  Shaffer's  army  disembarked  to  make  the  land 
campaign  against  Santiago.  Then  the  squat  outlines  of  Morro  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  were 
distinguishable.  A  sail  boat  came  scudding  along  the  coast  westward  of  the  entrance.  That  was  the  course 
Cervera's  ships  took  until,  one  after  another,  crippled  and  sinking,  they  were  driven  on  the  rocks.  Long  before  the 
"PRINZ  JOACHIM"  came  up  with  the  pilot  boat  and  drew  near  the  entrance,  the  line  of  white-crested  surf 
breaking  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  both  east  and  west  of  Morro  was  visible.  Not  until  the  steamer  was  fairly 
into  the  narrow,  tortuous  channel  did  Santiago,  at  the  head  of  the  harbor,  come  into  view.  The  most 
entertaining,  most  fascinating  approach  to  any  of  the  West  Indian  cities  visited  on  this  cruise  of  the  Commercial 
Clubs  was  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Santiago  and  the  sail  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city's  water  front. 
The  half  day  which  the  itinerary  allotted  to  Santiago  was  all  too  short.  While  some  of  the  members  rode 
and  strolled  about  the  city,  others  breakfasted  leisurely  after  the  Latin-American  custom.  Santiago  has  a 
restaurant,  La  Venus,  famed  throughout  the  West  Indies.  Breakfast  at  La  Venus  is  a  Santiago  experience  to 
be  remembered.  Many  of  the  members  enjoyed  that  experience.  Perhaps  half  of  the  party  took  carriages  and 
made  a  hasty  drive  out  of  the  city  and  over  a  fine  road  to  San  Juan  Hill,  passing  the  great  peace  tree  in  the 
shade  of  which  the  capitulation  of  Santiago  to  the  Americans  under  Shafter  was  arranged.  They  were  fortunate 
to  have  for  their  escort  Mr.  Elwell,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Santiago.  Mr.  Elwell  came  from  northern  Ohio 
to  Cuba  seventeen  years  ago.  When  the  time  arrived  for  all  Americans  to  leave  the  Island  he  disposed  of  his 

192 


ON  SAN  JUAN  HILL 
Viewing  the  battlefield   near  Santiago.     Reading  from   left  to   right:     Daniel   Catlin,  W.    K.    Bixby,  W.   B.    Lawrence. 


business  in  Santiago  and  went  to  Washington.  A  little  later  he  returned  in  charge  of  a  department  of  the  Red 
Cross  work  with  Shafter's  army.  When  Santiago  fell,  Mr.  Elwell  resumed  his  residence  and  went  into  business 
again.  The  United  States  government  has  made  the  beginning  of  a  military  park,  including  San  Juan  Hill. 
Some  cannon,  brought  from  Morro,  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  have  been  posted  on  the  Hill.  An  observatory 
has  been  built  in  order  that  visitors  may  have  a  good  view  of  the  battle  field.  San  Juan  Hill  is  the  Mecca  of 
all  American  visitors  to  Santiago. 

In  Santiago  Mr.  Maxwell,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Charles  W.  Knapp  made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
Jamaica  kola,  a  tropical  non-alcoholic  drink,  the  praises  of  which  they  sang  with  enthusiasm. 

On  the  boat  landing  at  Santiago  the  Joint  Committee  presented  to  the  members  the  choice  of  routes  to 
Havana.  They  told  them  frankly  that  the  overland  journey  might  be  one  of  some  hardships.  It  had  been  planned 
to  go  eastward  from  Santiago  to  Guantanamo,  part  of  the  way  by  a  new  railroad,  the  Cuba  Northeastern.  The 
new  road  was  not  running  through  as  had  been  expected  when  the  program  was  arranged  in  the  States.  There 
was  some  doubt  about  reaching  Guantanamo.  The  Joint  Committee  could  not  guarantee  connections  or  sleepers. 
The  members  were  told  that  they  must  decide  for  themselves  whether  they  would  go  by  rail  or  by  steamer  to 
Havana.  To  take  charge  of  those  who  might  decide  to  join  the  overland  expedition  one  member  of  the  Joint 
Committee,  Mr.  Hanford  Crawford,  of  St.  Louis,  was  selected.  Having  furnished  Mr.  Crawford  with  two 
stewards  from  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  and  a  large  supply  of  Poland  water,  the  other  Joint  Committeemen  took 
leave  of  him  as  of  one  they  might  not  meet  again  in  a  long  time.  When  Mr.  Crawford  called  his  roll  at  the 
railroad  station  a  little  before  noon  he  found  his  party  made  up  as  follows  : 

From  Boston  :     Mr.   Bartlett,  Mr.  Cumner,  Mr.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  Cutler. 

From  Chicago:    Mr.  Clow,    Mr.  Hutchinson,    Mr.   McCormick,    Mr. 
Morton,  Mr.  Noyes,  Mr.  Ryerson,  Mr.  Swift  and  Mr.  Wilson. 

From    Cincinnati:     Mr.    Ault,    Mr.    Durrell,    Mr.   Egan,   Mr.   Geier, 
Mr.  Green,    Mr.  Lodge,    Mr.    Maxwell,    Mr.  Meacham,  Mr.  Omwake  and 
Mr.  Yeiser. 

From  St.  Louis:  Mr.  Crawford,  Mr.  Dozier,  Mr.  Francis,  Mr. 
Hill,  Mr.  Jones,  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Knapp,  Mr.  Homer  P.  Knapp  and 
Mr.  Nugent. 

The  handbag  of  Charles  W.   Knapp,  of  St.  Louis,  was  thrust  into 
the   car  window    as    the  train    left   the  station.      Mr.    McCormick,   of 
Chicago,  was  not  so  fortunate.    His  handbag  went  around  to  Havana 
*"  by  steamer. 

c.mP  in  the  ci.r  p..k  .i  Kin,,ion.  No  party  of  tourists  ever  set  out  for  an   unknown  country  with 

195 


T»«  r,,,h,u,kr 


more  implicit  faith  manifested  in  their  personal  conductor.  No  conductor  ever  more  fully  justified  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him,  than  did  Mr.  Crawford.  These  gentlemen  followed  Mr.  Crawford  on  board  the  cars  after  their 
busy  morning  in  Santiago  and  asked  no  questions.  Before  they  realized  that  they  were  hungry,  they  were  fed 
with  sandwiches  from  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM.  "  At  thirty-minutes  intervals  the  duck-garbed  stewards  caromed 
along  the  aisles  with  the  Poland  water,  which  never  gave  out. 

An  hour  from  Santiago  the  special  train  made  a  leisurely  stop  at  Estacion  del  Cristo.  Small  boys  ran 
alongside  the  cars  offering  oranges  in  clusters  of  a  dozen,  and  bunches  of  little  bananas  which  are  known  as 
"  lady  fingers.  "  Larger  boys  offered  cocoanuts.  They  carried  their  long  knives,  machetes,  and  when  a  purchase 
was  made,  deftly  sliced  off  the  ends,  scooped  a  puncture  to  the  hollow  interior,  and  presented  the  cocoanut 
water  in  natural  goblets.  Other  tropical  fruits,  less  familiar  to  the  travelers,  were  tendered.  All  of  these 
products  were  sold  at  such  low  prices  that  every  Americano  became  forthwith  a  buyer.  Traffic  was  encouraged 
by  the  fact  that  every  little  merchant  knew  American  money  and  wanted  nothing  else.  No  question  of  exchange 
complicates  the  tourist  trade  in  Cuba.  American  money  goes  in  the  interior  of  the  island  just  as  universally  and 
as  acceptably  as  it  does  in  Porto  Rico.  So  the  members  of  Mr.  Crawford's  party  bought 
and  bought  at  Estacion  del  Cristo.  As  rapidly  as  they  found  their  stock 
depleted,  the  little  boys  darted  away  and  were  back  with  fresh 
supplies.  When  the  train  was  ready  to  proceed  the  interiors  of  the 
cars  presented  an  extensive  horticultural  exhibit.  Then  the  travelers 
ate  and  ate.  In  the  midst  of  the  feast  Mr.  Green,  of  Cincinnati, 
arose  at  the  end  of  a  coach  aisle  and  shouted: 

"Gentlemen!  I  wish  to  propose  a  sentiment.  To  our 
unfortunate  friends  on  the  ship!" 

"  To  our  unfortunate  friends  on  the  ship! "  responded  the 
adventurous  thirty,  holding  aloft  and  flourishing  oranges,  bananas  and 
cocoanuts. 

"We  are  not  through  to  Havana,"  said  Mr.  Crawford  warningly, 
"  although  the  start  seems  to  be  all  right." 

Three  hours  of  much  curving  and  climbing  brought  the  train  to 
La  Maya,  in  a  coffee  and  cocoa  district  of  eastern  Cuba.  Here  two 
army  ambulances  and  two  dozen  saddle  ponies  and  mules  were  waiting 
in  charge  of  half  a  dozen  stalwart  young  Americans  attached  to  the 
new  Cuba  Northeastern  Railroad.  The  hand  baggage  and  the  boxes 
of  Poland  water  were  strapped  to  a  two-wheeled  cart.  Half  the  party 

196 


Forestry  of  the  Tropics. 


chose  their  mounts.  The  others  climed  in  the  ambulances.  The  cavalcade  filed  down  the  principal  street  of  La 
Maya  and  out  on  a  ridge  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  surrounding  country  for  miles.  The  route  was  down 
a  steep  road  into  a  valley  and  up  by  a  stiff  climb  to  another  tableland.  A  half  hour's  ride  covered  the  distance 
from  La  Maya  to  where  a  train  was  waiting  on  the  roadbed  of  the  new  Cuba  Northeastern.  Later  in  the  day, 
as  they  were  nearing  Guantanamo,  the  members  of  Mr.  Crawford's  party  learned  that  they  had  had  the 
distinction  of  being  carried  in  the  first  passenger  train  over  the  road.  A.  V.  Sims,  president  and  general  manager 
of  the  Cuba  Northeastern,  met  the  party  at  La  Maya.  Mr.  Harry  Robinson,  of  the  railroad  corporation, 
accompanied  the  party  from  Santiago.  When  Mr.  Crawford  met  Mr.  Robinson  he  recognized  something  familiar 
about  him.  After  some  thinking  he  said  : 

"  Robinson,  you  ought  to  know  me." 

Mr.  Robinson  looked  hard,  but  replied  regretfully  that  he  could  not  recall  they  had  ever  met. 

"Don't  you  remember  Hanford  Crawford?"  was  asked. 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Robinson,  "but  he  didn't  have  any  beard." 

Years  ago,  when  Hanford  Crawford  was  a  young  man  just  out  of  college,  he  taught  in  a  locally  famous 
boys'  school  of  New  York  City,  and  Harry  Robinson  was  one  of  the  boys.  Teacher  and  pupil  had  lost  track 
of  each  other  until  they  came  together  in  Eastern  Cuba 

From  La  Maya  Valley  all  of  the  way  to  Guantanamo,  a  three  hours'  journey  over  the  new  Cuba 
Northeastern,  the  members  of  the  Clubs 
explored  a  part  of  the  Island  almost  unknown 
to  this  generation.  Here  was  the  scene  of 
the  terrible  devastation  of  the  Ten  Years' 
War.  When  the  rebellion  against  Spanish 
authority  began,  in  1868,  this  region  was  one 
of  the  most  productive  of  all  Cuba.  Here 
were  coffee  plantations.  Cocoa  was  a  notable 
product.  Cuba  was  producing  750,000  tons 
of  cane  sugar,  and  the  sugar  estates  of  eastern 
Cuba  were  among  the  richest  on  the  Island. 
With  the  revolution  of  1868  ended  what  was 
known  as  "the  golden  age"  of  Cuba.  In 
the  Ten  Years'  War  which  followed,  40,000 
Cubans  perished.  Spain  lost  208,000  of  the 
257,000  soldiers  sent  to  sustain  her  authority. 

197 


Toward    the     close      the      policy      was      declared      tO      be      tO      "convert     the        En  Route  to  BOB  W«lk  in  Jamaica.     Facing  the  camera  (readinu 

from  left  to  right) :    David  B.  Gamble,  Hanford 

Island  into  a  desert."     The   value   of  the   property   destroyed  and  the  Crawford,  D.  B.  Meacham. 

cost  of  the  war  amounted   to  $300,000,000.     For  miles,  the  members 

of    the   Commercial  Clubs   rode   through    a   marvelously  fertile  section, 

once    under    cultivation,    much    of    it    the    property    then    of    French 

planters,  laid  waste  in  the  Ten  Years'  War,  and  now  with  a  forest  of 

thirty  years'  growth  spread  over  it. 

Before  leaving  Santiago  some  of  the  visitors  were  shown  where 
the  fifty  American  officers  and  men,  coming  on  the  Virginius,  to  join 
the  Cuban  revolutionists  in  the  midst  of  the  Ten  Years'  War,  and 
having  been  captured,  were  executed.  American  capital  is  behind  the 
movement  to  reclaim  this  region  and  to  make  it  productive  again. 
Americans  are  building  the  Cuba  Northeastern.  American  settlers  are 
acquiring  the  land  and  clearing  it  for  sugar,  coffee  and  fruit.  The 
evidence  of  American  occupation  in  eastern  Cuba  was  abundant  and 
impressive.  The  new  houses,  such  as  American  farmers  would  insist  upon  "''  !JJ 

building,  were  numerous.     The  only  concession  to  the  climate  was  in  the  porches.     Tall, 
broad-shouldered   Americans,    with   faces   bronzed  by   the   tropical   sun,  towered  above  the 

groups  of  natives  at  the  railroad  stations.  That  the  region  is  in  the  pioneer  stage  was  shown  by  the  acres  of 
logs  at  every  stopping  place.  The  present  business  of  the  new  road  is  largely  that  of  transporting  to  the  coast 
logs  of  mahogany,  ebony,  rosewood,  cedar,  logwood  and  other  hardwoods  of  the  tropics.  A  stalwart  Canadian  at 
one  of  the  stations  told  the  party  that  it  cost  $20  an  acre  to  clear  away  the  forest,  and  that  the  lumber  yielded 
$15  an  acre.  When  the  American  railroad  builders  began  in  eastern  Cuba  they  used  some  mahogany  logs  for 
ties.  Now  they  employ  a  native  wood  called  cagueran,  which  lasts  like  steel.  The  travelers  saw  the  beginnings 
of  coffee  plantations,  but  it  takes  a  period  of  years  to  bring  the  coffee  trees  to  the  stage  of  profitable  production. 
One  coffee  plantation,  well  advanced,  was  pointed  out.  The  owner  sells  all  of  this  coffee  for  home  consumption 
at  Guantanamo  and  receives  twenty  cents  a  pound  for  it. 

Passing  over  the  new  roadbed  the  party  noted  that  already  grass  and  vines  covered  the  sides  of  the 
embankments  and  of  the  cuts,  so  rapid  is  the  growth  of  vegetation.  Where  the  road  was  cut  through  the 
forest  it  was  impossible  to  see  but  a  few  rods  into  the  dense  growth.  With  this  experience  came  the  realization 
that  it  was  impossible  for  Spain  to  conquer  revolutionists  who  had  such  opportunity  for  concealment. 

As  the  train  approached  Guantanamo,  the  wilderness  was  left  behind.  Great  sugar  estates  stretched  away 
in  all  directions.  The  tall  smoke  stacks  of  the  sugar  mills  —  centrals,  they  are  called  in  the  vernacular  of  the 

198 


AII  (bond!   Samiifo.  Island  —  towered  above  the  clusters  of  buildings  which  dotted    the    vast 

fields    of    cane.     Mr.    Sims   pointed    to   one   field    which    he  said   had 
yielded   cane  year  after  year  without   replanting  for  forty-seven    years. 
But  the  yield   had  decreased   to  seventeen  tons  of  cane  an  acre,  and 
the    owner    had    concluded    to    replant.     In    this   wonderfully    rich 
Guantanamo   Valley,    the   rule   is  to  cut    the    cane    steadily    for    thirty 
years  and  then  to  turn  the  field  into  grass  for  a  rest  of  ten  or  twelve 
years.     The  Guantanamo    Valley    has   for   years    had    its   own   railway 
system,   the    Cuba    Eastern,    giving   the    sugar   estates   the   outlet    to 
tidewater   on    Guantanamo    Bay.     The    Cuba    Northeastern    is   being 
built   to  connect   the   Cuba   Eastern   and   the   Guantanamo  Valley   with   the 
railroad  systems  of  central  and  western   Cuba,   as  well  as    to    develop    the 
country  between. 

In    the   station   at   Guantanamo,    Mr.   Crawford   divided  his  party,    sending   most 

of  them  to  the  La  Venus  Hotel,  and  taking  a  minority  to  the  Washington.  He  notified  all  of  the  members 
that  dinner  would  be  served  at  the  Washington.  A  ride  through  the  streets  revealed  a  little  Cuban  city,  which 
had  made  no  progress  for  thirty  years,  suddenly  called  upon  by  American  enterprise  to  undergo  transformation. 
To  their  surprise,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  found  excellent  hotels,  such  as  few  cities  of  like  population  in  the 
States  could  boast  of.  The  hotels  were  characteristic  of  Cuba,  built  around  the  large  open  court,  with  cafes 
open  to  the  street.  The  beds  were  scrupulously  clean,  with  canopies  and  curtains.  The  furniture  was  new.  The 
attention  was  most  painstaking. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  members  assembled  at  the  Washington  and  were  served  with  dinner  at  a  long  table 
set  on  a  balcony  overhanging  the  street.  The  proprietor  of  the  hotel,  his  clerks  and  his  chef  assisted  the 
waiters  in  serving  the  dinner.  When,  after  several  excellent  courses  the  whole  roast  pig  was  carried  around  for 
inspection  and  the  explanation  was  offered  that  the  delicious  flavor  was  due  to  a  life-long  diet  of  pine  nuts,  Mr. 
Green,  of  Cincinnati,  felt  constrained  to  rise  from  his  chair  and  to  propose  again  the  sentiment : 
"Gentlemen!  To  our  unfortunate  friends  on  the  ship!" 

There  was  but  one  discordant  note  in  the  feast.  A  street  piano,  the  only  one  in  eastern  Cuba,  had  been 
whirled  into  position  just  under  the  balcony.  The  operator  played  continuously  until  Mr.  McCormick,  of 
Chicago,  was,  on  motion,  made  a  committee  of  one  to  go  down  stairs,  return  the  thanks  of  the  Clubs  to  the 
mechanical  orchestra,  and  at  any  cost  to  secure  the  removal  beyond 'earshot.  Mr.  McCormick  did  his  work 
well.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  dinner,  which  well  deserved  to  be  called  a  banquet,  Mr.  Crawford  introduced 
Mr.  Sims,  who  gave  some  interesting  information  about  eastern  Cuba.  Mr.  Sims  said: 

199 


Mr.  Toastmaster  and  Gentlemen  :  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  I  weigh  about  200  pounds,  whenever  I  rise  to  speak  I  always 
feel  like  a  two-cent  piece  in  a  band-box.  I  sometimes  think  I  might  have  thoughts  —  in  my  dreams  —  but  on  occasions  of  this  kind  I 
have  none.  I  believe  all  I  can  say  to  you  tonight,  gentlemen,  is  that  I  welcome  you  here  most  heartily.  I  wish  very  much  that  you 
might  come  again  to  this  city,  not  only  to  enjoy  a  visit  to  this -part  of  Cuba,  which  is  so  interesting,  but  that  you  might  then  be  able 
to  appreciate  the  rapidity  with  which  this  end  of  the  island  is  developing.  No  doubt  the  remainder  of  the  island  has  its  story  of 
marvelous  development,  but  I  shall  not  speak  of  that  because  I  am  not  familiar  with  it. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion,  after  several  years  of  arduous  work  in  the  laboratory,  I  succeeded  in  making  a  floor  out  of  dry  sand 
that  stood  about  2,000  pounds  pressure  to  the  square  foot.  There  happened  by  this  exhibit  of  floor  a  German  who  represented  a  large 
builder.  He  asked  me  how  I  made  it.  I  told  him  that  I  simply  put  the  screens  in  and  reinforced  them  instead  of  reinforced  concrete. 
He  asked,  "What  you  do  then  that  make  it  don't  fall?"  I  said,  "Nothing."  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  would  like  to  show  it  to  my 
friends."  I  said,  "All  right."  He  said,  "Yes,  but  I  don't  want  them  to  think  that  I  am  such  a  liar  as  that." 

Well,  gentlemen,  that's  the  way  I  feel  about  the  eastern  end  of  Cuba.  Until  you  have  seen  some  of  it,  I  am  afraid  you  will 
think,  from  the  stories  I  could  tell  you,  that  I  am  a  liar.  If  I  should  tell  you  that  there  are  hundreds  of  mahogany  trees  on  this  end 
of  the  island  that  would  require  the  outstretched  arms  of  four  men  like  myself  to  reach  around,  know  you  would  think  I  am  a  pretty 
big  liar.  Gentlemen,  these  things  are  true.  The  part  of  Cuba  you  have  traversed  today  the  Spaniards  have  known  and  occupied  for  a 
hundred  years  or  more.  I  would  very  gladly  offer  to  head  a  junketing  party,  if  any  of  you  are  sufficiently  interested  to  go.  We  could 
take  some  "hay-birds,"  'commonly  known  as  mules  in  the  States,  and  I  could  show  you  some  of  the  wonderful  things  of  which  I  speak. 
When  I  speak  of  mahogany,  I  mean  hardwoods  generally,  for  the  cedars  in  Cuba  are  worth  three  or  four  times  the  money  value  of 
standard  mahogany,  and  there  are  many  other  varieties  of  wood,  the  value  of  which  has  never  been  made  known  to  the  world. 

As  I  say,  I  cherish  an  honored  reputation  for  veracity,  and  therefore  shall  not  expatiate  further  along  this  line.  I  want  to  repeat 
that  we  are  very  much  pleased  to  see  you  here.  (Cries  of  "Go  on!  Tell  us  the  whole  story!  ") 

Gentlemen,  I  am  not  an  expert  in  sugar  cane.  I  may  say,  in  the  first  place,  that  I  came  here  about  two  and  a  half  years  ago 
to  look  over  a  certain  property  and  to  report  to  its  owners  as  to  its  value.  It  happened  that  while  I  was  here  the  chief  engineer 
resigned,  and  I  was  asked  to  hold  his  place  until  a  successor  could  be  appointed.  During  that  time  the  manager  resigned  and  I  was 
asked  to  take  his  place.  And  then  our  superintendent  died  and  I  was  requested  to  hold  his  place.  These  circumstances  caused  me  to 
look  with  greater  care  and  with  more  detail  into  the  business  advantages  and  opportunities  that  were  offered  by  this  part  of  Cuba.  The 
opportunities  may  be  just  as  good  in  other  parts  of  Cuba,  but  I  am  sure  the  eastern  end  cannot  be  surpassed  for  the  fertility  of  its  soil 
and  the  promise  of  development  it  presents. 

After  a  residence  of  about  three  months  in  this  little  city  I  made  up  my  mind  I  would  give  up  my  business  connections  in  the 
States.  I  would  give  up  the  practice  of  my  profession  as  a  consulting  civil  engineer,  and  would  abide  here.  It  has  so  happened, 
however,  that  I  have  not  been  relieved  of  the  positions  I  have  mentioned,  and  so  I  have  remained  .with  the  Cuba  Eastern  and  its 
affiliated  enterprises.  My  duties  as  manager  of  the  Cuba  Eastern  made  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  look  into  the  cane  industry  in  order 
that  among  other  things  I  might  estimate  the  amount  of  freight  to  be  secured  for  our  road.  I  noticed  that  along  the  Cuba  Eastern 
there  did  not  seem  to  be  the  proper  amount  of  enterprise  and  industry.  I  went  up  the  road  and  found  a  good  proposition  that  would 
yield  a  profit  of  thirty  per  cent  every  time  the  money  was  turned  over.  It  seemed  also  to  involve  small  business  risk.  I  submitted  it  to 
a  man  here  who  has  money  to  invest,  and  showed  him  all  of  the  details  of  the  proposition.  He  listened  to  me  until  I  had  finished  and 
then  simply  shrugged  his  shoulders.  I  said,  "  Don't  you  want  it?  "  He  replied,  "There  is  only  thirty  per  cent  in  it.  "  I  could 
hardly  understand  his  position  until  he  told  me  he  could  lend  his  money  at  two  per  cent  a  month. 

Then  I  went  further  and  investigated  the  amount  of  tonnage  that  could  be  produced  from  an  acre  of  cane  land.  I  found  that  in 
this  valley,  without  work  and  without  cultivation  the  average  yield  is  about  thirty  tons  of  cane  to  the  acre,  which  means  three  tons  of 

200 


sugar.  In  Iowa,  thirty  bushels  of  wheat  is  a  pretty  big  yield.  Thirty  bushels  of  wheat  makes  about  a  ton  to  the  acre.  Here,  as  I 
said,  an  acre  yields  about  thirty  tons  of  cane  and  three  tons  of  sugar.  It  has  been  yielding  for  a  hundred  years  at  the  same  rate.  When 
cultivated  the  land  will  yield  fifty  tons  of  cane  per  acre,  which  makes  five  tons  of  sugar,  worth  two  cents  a  pound.  In  Porto  Rico  my 
understanding  is  you  have  to  plant  the  cane  once  every  five  or  six  years.  This  afternoon,  on  the  Cuba  Eastern,  you  passed  a  cane 
field  that  was  planted  forty-seven  years  ago  and  has  never  been  replanted  during  that  time.  These  facts  are  not  appreciated  by  those 
in  the  States.  Those  acquainted  with  sugar  conditions  in  Louisiana,  where  I  am  told  the  cane  must  be  planted  every  year,  find  it 
difficult  to  believe  that  here,  speaking  conservatively,  we  plant  only  once  every  thirty  years. 

The  Iowa  soil  produces  a  dividend,  during  a  fairly  good  year,  over  and  above  labor  wages  for  the  fanner,  of  from  five  and 
one-half  per  cent,  to  six  and  one-half  per  cent,  on  a  valuation  of  $100  per  acre.  Cuban  soil  will  pay  interest  at  six  per  cent,  on  a 
valuation  of  $500  to  $600  per  acre.  What  is  the  difference  ?  Why  is  not  the  interest  produced  by  the  Cuban  soil  and  sent  to  the  States 
in  the  form  of  a  New  York  draft  just  as  good  as  money  invested  in  Iowa?  I  will  tell  you.  During  the  Spanish  occupation  of  Cuba 
you  might  make  six  per  cent,  on  $500  or  you  might  have  several  years  when  you  would  not  make  anything.  The  reason  why  it 
requires  a  dividend  of  $6  only  on  the  Iowa  land  to  make  it  worth  $100  per  acre  and  requires  $30  or  $40  here  is  that  the  people  who 
set  the  values  upon  the  land  have  been  brought  up  from  childhood  to  regard  the  crops  that  grow  on  the  land  as  very  uncertain,  due  to 
political  conditions.  All  this  country  needs  to  establish  values  is  the  security  of  a  good  and  stable  government.  Sugar  cane  land  will 
sell  at  $60  per  acre,  but  it  is  all  in  large  tracts,  and  to  be  profitable,  it  must  be  accessible  to  a  good  mill.  Virgin  soil  in  this  country 
is  for  sale  anywhere  at  from  $8  to  $12  an  acre  —  soil  such  as  you  rode  through  today.  To  show  our  confidence  in  these  figures,  we 
have  bought  within  the  past  eighteen  months,  in  round  figures,  100,000  acres  of  land.  That  land  today  has  such  small  value  for  the 
same  reason  that  the  cane  land  is  worth  only  $60  an  acre,  namely,  because  the  people  have  not  been  taught  to  know  that  an  investment 
in  real  estate  is  a  perfectly  safe  investment.  The  man  who  can  see  the  events  that  are  coming  and  who  gets  possession  of  land  at  the 
rale  the  owners  are  perfectly  willing  to  sell  at  now,  in  my  opinion,  is  going  to  reap  a  very  handsome  profit  in  a  very  short  space  of 
lime.  The  land  that  a  year  ago  sold  for  $6  an  acre  is  now  selling  at  from  $20  to  $30  an  acre.  Much  of  it  is  changing  hands,  and 
settlers  are  coming  in  quite  rapidly. 

I  spoke  of  our  company  having  acquired  a  considerable  quantity  of  land  at  cheap  prices.  We  could  now  dispose  of  this  land  a' 
much  enhanced  values.  The  reason  we  do  not  sell  land  at  $25  that  cost  us  $5,  is  that  it  is  not  a  paying  business.  We  have  had  in 
Cuba  five  or  six  colonization  companies.  Every  one  of  them  has  started  out  under  full  sail,  but  has  struck  a  shoal  and  has  met  with 
misfortune.  I  am  adverse,  as  a  rule,  to  mentioning  names  in  a  talk  of  this  kind,  but  I  will  say  that  at  one  place,  a  few  miles  from 
San  Luis,  and  located  on  our  line,  a  colony  began  with  excellent  opportunities.  But  the  colonists  have  not  succeeded  because  they  did 
not  study  the  conditions  properly  and  did  not  adapt  themselves  thereto.  Our  colonization  scheme  has  been  formulated  on  an  original  and 
scientific  basis.  It  is  proposed  to  sell  to  a  farmer,  for  example,  100  acres  of  land.  We  will  require  that  he  plant  one-half  of  it  in  cane, 
and  we  bind  ourselves  to  buy  that  cane  from  him  for  fifteen  years,  or  for  half  of  the  estimated  life  of  the  field  without  replanting.  Wr 
figure  that  the  profit  he  can  make  on  the  fifty  acres  will  put  in  his  pocket  at  least  $1,000  a  year.  The  colonist  therefore  will  not  go 
back  to  the  States.  The  return  of  the  discouraged  is  what  has  damaged  all  of  the  colonization  companies  in  Cuba.  Most  of  the 
colonists  have  not  been  successful.  By  creating  a  market  for  the  crop  raised  on  half  of  this  land,  we  expect  to  enable  our  colonist  to 
make  a  greater  success  than  he  would  make  in  the  States  with  100  acres.  In  addition  he  will  have  the  remaining  half  of  his  farm  to 
plant  with  vegetables.  We  do  not  bind  ourselves  in  legal  manner  to  this  further  encouragement  but  we  have  announced  —  and  of  course 
we  intend  to  conform  —  that  we  will  put  up  a  cold  storage  plant  that  will  take  care  of  all  of  the  vegetables  produced  on  this  remaining; 
half  of  the  land  of  our  colonists,  where  they  may  be  retained  until  they  can  be  transported  to  market  and  disposed  of. 

You  can  look    at  this   soil    and    see  that    the   foundation  of  the  vegetation  is  legumes,  showing  that  nitrogen  is  constantly  being 


stored  in  the  ground.  You  can  burn  the  vegetation  and  weeds  will  not  grow  up,  but  legumes  will.  We  have  gone  into  the  land  you 
saw  today  and  spent  $220,000  for  the  clearing  of  it  and  the  planting  of  it  in  cane.  The  roots  of  the  cane  in  the  ground  are  the 
security  for  that  $220,000.  It  is  good  security,  for  whatever  you  plant  you  reap. 

Gentlemen,  these  are  but  a  few  of  the  things  I  have  seen  and  learned  during  the  past  two  years,  since  I  came  to  Cuba.  I 
might  say  I  am  in  the  brick  business,  too.  I  was  showing  some  of  you  this  afternoon,  as  we  were  driving  around  town,  two  lots  that 
I  was  offered  not  long  ago  for  $250.00,  one  at  $100  and  the  other  at  $150.  I  did  not  buy  them,  and  there  is  where  the  joke  is  on  me. 
Within  several  months  the  corner  lot,  which  I  was  offered  at  $150  brought  $900,  and  the  other  one  $700.  There  is  a  big  building  on 
them  now.  Brick  sell  here  for  $25  per  thousand.  I  own  all  of  the  brick  yards  in  town,  but  I  did  not  know  I  was  in  the  business  at 
all  until  one  day  a  fellow  came  to  me  and  asked  me  to  make  a  price  on  a  number  of  brick.  I  thought  at  first  he  was  jesting  and 
treated  his  remarks  in  that  way.  He  persisted  in  asking  that  I  make  the  price.  I  said  to  him,  "  Why,  you  are  mistaken,  I  haven't 
any  brick  to  sell.  "  He  said,  "  Don't  you  own  a  certain  lot  here  in  town  ?  "  I  replied  affirmatively.  He  said  "  Don't  you  own  this 
other  lot  ?  "  mentioning  another  location.  I  admitted  that  I  did.  "  Well,  "  he  said,  "  Have'nt  they  both  got  brick  kilns  on  them,  and 
aren't  they  the  only  yards  in  town?"  When  I  examined  the  property  later  I  found  such  to  be  the  case.  And  so  that  is  how  I  am 
in  the  brick  business.  We  are  not  doing  a  very  big  business,  but  are  selling  all  we  can  make.  The  reason  we  can't  turn  them  out 
faster  is  because  we  can't  get  the  machinery  from  the  States.  All  of  our  brick  have  to  be  manufactured  by  hand.  But,  gentlemen, 
while  I  have  a  monopoly  on  the  brick  business  of  this  city,  I  assure  you  I  have  not  raised  the  price  of  our  product  or  tried  to  stamp 
out  legitimate  competition. 

My  friends,  these  are  not  the  exceptions  I  am  pointing  out  to  you,  but  the  rule.  When  I  came  here,  two  years  ago,  a  little 
building  several  blocks  up  this  street  was  the  only  hotel  in  town.  It  had  two  rooms.  A  sick  man  occupied  one,  and  it  was  always  a 
question  of  who  would  secure  the  other.  Now  we  have  three  or  four  hotels  —  two  of  them  are  furnishing  the  accommodations  for  you 
gentlemen  tonight.  We  have  four  or  five  miles  of  macadam  roads  and  streets.  This  is  a  sample  of  the  development  that  has  taken 
place  within  the  past  two  years.  I  believe  that  Guantanamo  will,  in  a  few  years,  be  the  Havana  of  eastern  Cuba.  At  Guantanamo 
Bay  we  have  any  amount  of  water,  vertically  and  horizontally.  We  have  around  this  place  a  perfect  garden.  From  the  bay  itself  we 
are  about  twenty  kilometers.  That  is  a  misfortune,  but  we  could  not  build  the  city  right  on  the  bay  because  of  the  agricultural 
conditions.  There  is  no  fresh  water  at  the  bay.  All  of  the  fresh  water  used  there  has  to  be  hauled  down  as  freight.  Here  no 
irrigation  is  necessary.  The  soil  is  fertile  beyond  compare.  You  can  raise  anything  on  it.  In  fact,  you  cannot  keep  things  from 
growing  on  it.  There  is  no  more  productive  country  on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

Now,  gentlemen,  I  am  not  going  to  detain  you  longer.  I  hope  you  can  return  to  Cuba  some  near  time  and  will  stay  long  enough 
to  verify  some  of  the  statements  I  have  made  this  evening.  I  desire  again  to  express  our  appreciation  and  pleasure  at  your  visit,  and 
to  thank  you  for  your  kind  attention  to  my  remarks. 

Following  President  Sims,  there  was  much  spirited  oratory.  In  front  of  the  balcony  assembled  many  of  the 
ladies  of  Guantanamo.  Inspired  by  the  environment,  the  presiding  officer  of  the  evening,  Mr.  Crawford, 
brought  to  their  feet  in  succession,  for  short  talks,  Mr.  Francis,  Harry  Robinson,  of  the  Cuba  Northeastern, 
Mr.  Maxwell,  Mr.  Nugent,  Mr.  McCormick  and  Mr.  Lawrence. 

In  the  cool  of  the  morning  Mr.  Crawford  called  his  roll  at  the  Guantanamo  station.  All  were  on  time. 
Mr.  McCormick,  of  Chicago,  triumphantly  exhibited  his  new  baggage.  He  had  found  in  Guantanamo  a  substantial 
bag  of  fibre  and  had  filled  it  to  the  handles  with  a  collection  of  necessities  which  ranged  from  toothbrush  to 
pajamas.  The  party  was  in  high  good  humor.  Breakfast  of  genuine  Cuban  coffee,  eggs  from  Guantanamo  hens, 

202 


and  rolls  that  could  not   be  excelled   in   Paris,    had  pleased  everybody.     »«'"«:'ip  ' 'MMM"^^i  J'.,*^",'  Roblc'  u '  Ev*°*' 
Once  more  the  spirit  of  the    occasion    effervesced    in    Mr.   Green,  of 
Cincinnati,  who  exclaimed   as   he  held  aloft  a  bottle  of  Poland  water: 
"Gentlemen!  to  our  unfortunate  friends  on  the  ship!  " 

As  the  train  left  the  station  the  party  had  a  vision  of  eastern 
Cuba  of  the  old  times.  A  volante  drawn  by  galloping  mules  rolled 
out  of  the  city  on  the  road  to  the  Soledad  sugar  estate,  the  huge 
wheels  leaving  a  cloud  of  dust  behind. 

1  he  route  was  back  over  the  Cuba  Northeastern  to  La  Maya 
Valley  where  "three  cheers  for  Sims"  were  given.  The  ride  over  the 
hills  in  the  ambulances  and  on  the  ponies  and  mules  was  repeated. 
And  then  the  travelers  settled  down  for  the  long  journey  through 
the  Island  with  Havana  the  terminus.  All  day  the  route  lay  over 
table  lands  of  central  Cuba  where,  until  after  the  recent  war  with 
Spain,  there  was  no  railroad.  At  Bayate  the  travelers  saw  the  cleared 

fields  and  the  homes  of  the  Scandinavian  colony,  which  was  established  soon  after  the  Spanish-American  war. 
The  colony  began  to  raise  great  crops  of  fruit  before  facilities  for  marketing  had  been  provided,  and  suffered  loss 
thereby.  At  Bartol  a  short  stop  was  made.  The  substantial  improvements  and  the  orange  groves  were  admired. 
The  latter  half  of  the  day  the  journey  was  through  the  stock  ranges  of  Cuba,  where  cattle  were  grazing  in  grass 
knee-deep  the  first  week  in  March. 

Alto  Cedro  was  the  stopping  place  for  lunch.  Here  Mr.  Crawford  led  his  party  into  a  spacious  dining 
room  where  a  bright-eyed,  agile  Chinaman  directed  {he  serving  of  seventeen  varieties  of  food,  beginning  with  the 
Cuban  dish  of  fried  eggs  with  rice,  and  concluding  with  guava  jelly  on  cheese.  The  astonishment  was  great 
when  the  Chinese  proprietor  brought  on  dishes  of  baked  beans,  which  won  the  unstinted  approval  of  the  members 
of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston.  But  the  excitement  increased  when  the  waiters  served  a  dozen  of  freshly 
cooked  peach  pies. 

Gentlemen!"  cried  Mr.  Green,  of  Cincinnati,  holding  aloft  a  peach  pie  in  each  hand,  "to  our  unfortunate 
friends  on  the  ship!" 

An  hour  was  given  to  the  remarkable  luncheon  at  Alto  Cedro.  Before  the  train  started  the  proprietor 
distributed  to  each  member  of  the  party  a  neat  card,  reading: 


The  party  insisted  on  having  a  photograph  of  their  host,  and  Y.  Chong  obligingly  stood  before  the  camera. 
The  remaining  peach  pies  that  could  not  be  eaten  were  taken  on  board  of  the  train  and  added  to  the  stock  of 
fruit  collected  for  emergencies.  It  might  be  imagined  that  Mr.  Crawford's  party  did  little  but  eat  on  their  three 
days'  journeying  across  Cuba.  They  did  a  great  deal  besides  eating,  but  the  banquets  were  frequent. 

In  the  early  evening  the  train  reached  Camaguey,  a  city  of  50,000  people,  which,  until  the  building  of  the 
Cuba  Railroad,  the  Van  Home  enterprise,  a  few  years  ago,  had  no  railroad  communication  with  the  rest  of  Cuba. 

Immediately  upon  their  arrival  the  members  of  the  Clubs  took  carriages  and  drove  about  the  city  for  one 
hour.  They  found  narrow  but  paved  streets,  handsome  residences  of  the  Cuban  type,  shops  well  stocked,  and 
fine  churches.  But  more  impressive  than  these  was  the  appearance  of  the  people.  Very  few  dark-skinned 
persons  were  seen.  The  Cubans  of  Camaguey  are  white  men  and  women  of  pleasing  features  and  dignified 
appearance.  When  later  the  visitors  were  told  that  Camaguey  presents,  in  far  more  than  average  purity,  the 
Cuban  people,  they  were  well  prepared  to  accept  it.  After  noting  the  cleanliness  of  the  streets,  the  handsome 
appointments  of  the  residences,  the  well  kept  stores,  the  visitors  were  prepared  to  expect  a  hotel  in  keeping  with  such 
a  fine  city,  but  they  had  not  anticipated  what  they  found  in  the  Hotel  Camaguey.  Built  around  a  patio,  which 
was  a  small  park  with  fountain  and  flowers  and  shrubbery,  the  hotel  covers  three  and  a  half  acres.  Even  in 
Havana,  Cubans  speak  of  Hotel  Camaguey  as  the  finest  hotel  on  the  Island. 

The  travelers  sat  down  to  dinner  in  a  dining-room  which  accommodated  them  in  one  corner.  The  long 
table  was  decorated  with  flowers  and  with  great  pyramids  of  fruit.  Mr.  Crawford  cut  short  the  speech-making 
at  the  close  of  the  dinner  and  led  the  way  back  to  the  train.  Sleeping  cars  were  added  to  the  coaches  at 
Camaguey.  An  hour  before  arriving  at  Camaguey  Mr.  Crawford  had  knitted  his  brows  over  the  problem  of 
lower  berths  and  upper  berths.  He  had  succeeded  in  finding  volunteers  enough  for  upper  berths  to  relieve  the 
pressure.  But  when  the  party  went  on  board  the  train  there  speedily  developed  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice. 
Everybody  was  willing  to  take  an  upper  berth  after  seeing  the  lowers.  Those  who  retired  last  found  surplus 
lower  berths  but  all  upper  berths  filled.  Thus  did  the  expected  difficulties  of  the  trip  disappear  when  the  time 
came  to  meet  them. 

The  test  of  the  staying  quality  of  the  expedition  came  at  1:30  in  the  morning.  Beside  a  great  sugar 
central,  Jatobonico,  the  train  stopped.  The  party  was  invited  out  to  see  sugar-making  as  it  is  carried  on  in 
these  days  of  improved  labor-saving  machinery.  Rather  informally  clad,  the  travelers  left  their  berths  and  went 
through  the  sugar  mill.  They  saw  the  cane  by  the  car  load  lifted  in  a  kind  of  cradle  and  deposited  in  the 
hopper.  Mechanical  traveling  buckets  carried  the  juice  throigh  the  lime-mixing  process.  At  all  stages  were 
automatic  devices  and  labor-saving  contrivances  until  the  filled  bag  with  its  320  pounds  of  sugar  represented  the 
finished  product,  worth  two  and  one-quarter  cents  a  pound.  The  capacity  of  this  central,  with  its  shifts  of  labor 
to  cover  day  and  night,  is  1,000  bags  in  twenty-four  hours,  or  about  $7,200  worth  of  sugar.  In  a  grinding 

204 


IN  THE  FORTIFICATIONS  OF  HAVANA 


season  of  100  days  this  central  is  expected  to  turn  out  $600,000  worth  of  sugar.  And  it  does  it  with  American 
machinery-  The  centrals  about  Guantanamo  have  American  managers  and  chemists,  but  they  are  still  using 
English  and  French  machinery. 

Mr.  Crawford's  party  slept  peacefully  through  an  hour's  wait  at  Santa  Clara.  Somebody  in  authority, 
discovering  that  the  engineer,  with  cheerful  confidence  in  the  right-of-way,  was  about  to  start  with  a  locomotive 
having  no  headlight,  insisted  that  the  train  be  held  until  the  missing  part  was  supplied.  When  morning  came 
Matanzas  was  several  hours  away.  Mr.  Crawford  consulted  with  train  men,  who  knew  no  English,  and  learned 
that  coffee  might  be  ordered  at  Colon.  This  was  done.  Of  the  refreshment  at  Colon  there  is  not  much  to 
say  further  than  that  it  made  the  later  breakfast  at  Matanzas  more  appreciated.  "The  Naples  of  Cuba"  has 
learned  much  since  the  tide  of  American  travel  has  been  setting  in  so  strong.  When  the  special  of  the 
Commercial  Clubs  drew  into  the  imposing  Matanzas  station,  a  committee  of  citizens,  escorting  the  mayor,  was 
on  the  platform,  and  large  automobiles  were  waiting  outside.  The  party  was  conducted  to  the  Grand  hotel,  by 
the  committee,  consisting  of  Eugenio  Galbon,  President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  Stewart  Hamilton, 
manager  of  the  Matanzas  branch  of  the  Royal  Bank  of  Canada;  Bonifacio  Menendez,  Francisco  Ferrer, 
Alejandro  Ezquirre,  Wenceslao  Gonsalez  Soil's,  N.  Urrechaga,  Silvio  Silveira,  Padro  Urquiza,  Alfredo  Heydrick 
and  S.  F.  Yawger,  manager  of  the  Matanzas  branch  of  the  National  Bank  of  Cuba. 

To  breakfast  with  the  visitors,  the  business  men  of  Matanzas  had  invited  Isidoro  J.  Ojeda,  the  mayor  of 
the  city,  Colonel  Sweet  and  Captain  Wilson,  U.  S.  A.  While  the  breakfast  was  in  progress  the  band  of  the 
Twenty-eighth  Infantry  played  a  number  of  selections.  At  the  close  of  the  breakfast  brief  speeches  were  made 
by  the  mayor  of  Matanzas,  who  welcomed  the  Clubs,  and  by  Hanford  Crawford,  who  expressed  the  hearty 
thanks  of  his  associates  for  the  very  handsome  entertainment.  The  visitors  were  given  a  ride  in  automobiles  to 
the  Paseo  and  along  the  beach  of  the  beautiful  Bay,  of  Matanzas.  Early  in  the  afternoon  the  train  was  under 
way  for  Havana,  and  with  expressions  of  delight  the  members  of  the  Clubs  were  viewing  from  car  windows  the 
beautiful  Yumuri  Valley.  From  the  wilderness  of  eastern  Cuba  to  the  closely  populated  and  highly  improved 
section  between  Matanzas  and  Havana  was  a  marked  transition.  At  five  o'clock  Mr.  Crawford  landed  his  party 
in  the  heart  of  Havana  only  a  few  hours  after  the  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"  had  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor.  The 
sail  around  Cuba  had  been  very  interesting  but  less  strenuous.  "Our  unfortunate  friends  on  the  ship"  had  not 
been  unfortunate.  They  had,  after  leaving  Santiago,  entered  Guantanamo  Bay  and  had  inspected  the  unrivaled 
naval  station  secured  to  the  United  States  under  the  treaty  with  Cuba.  They  had  found  the  fleet  of  Admiral 
Evans  in  the  Bay,  and  Captain  von  Leitner  had  given  evidences  of  his  qualities  as  a  navigator  by  circling  in  and 
out  among  the  battleships  while  the  members  of  the  Clubs  cheered  them  and  the  admiral. 

The  thirty-six  hours  in  Havana  were  made  memorable  chiefly  by  individual  experiences,  although  the  visit 
was  not  without  its  social  and  official  functions.  Friday  evening,  March  8th,  a  reception  was  given  at  the 

207 


AT  THE  GOVERNOR'S  PALACE,  HAVANA 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     R.  H.  W.  Dwight,  D.  B.  Meacham,  Walker  Hill,  John  V.  Farwell,  Jr.,  C.  H.  McCormick,  L.  W.  Noyes, 

David  B.  Gamble,  J.  G.  Schmidlapp,  John  M.  Clark,  W.  K.  Bixby,  L.  A.  Ault,  W.  A.  Fuller, 

W.  J.   Chalmers,  John  Morron,   A.   L.   Baker,   George  M.   Wright. 


Palace  was  one  of  the  most  pleasing  incidents  of  the  Havana  visit.  At  6  o'clock,  by  request  of  the  Joint 
Committee,  the  members  of  the  Clubs  assembled  at  the  Hotel  Telegrafo,  on  the  Prado,  to  dine  in  Cuban 
style.  The  small  tables,  each  for  four  persons,  were  set  in  a  part  of  the  large  cafe  opening  upon  the  sidewalk. 
There,  with  Central  Park  across  the  way,  with  the  Saturday  evening  throngs  of  Havana's  most  popular  boulevard 
passing  in  endless  procession,  the  members  ate  the  typical  Cuban  dinner,  according  to  the  following  menu : 

Mantequilla  y  Aceitunas 

Sopa  Jigote 

Pescado  minuta.  S.  Mallonesa 

Polio  Asado  Caserola 

Ensalada  Mixta 

Filete  al   Homo 

Frutas  y  H  el  ados 

Vinos 

Jerez 

Rioja  Clarete  Lainez 
White  Rock 


Hotel  Telegrafo 


Marzo  9,  1907. 


Flowers  in  profusion  decked  the  tables.  Pescado  minuta  —  the  little  fish  on  the  menu  —  were  very  appetizing 
and  well  calculated  to  stimulate  the  diner's  interest  in  the  other  640  varieties  which  abound  in  Cuban  waters. 

The  Joint  Committee  had  planned  a  full  evening  program  for  the  last  night  in  the  American  Mediterranean. 
When  dinner  was  finished  carriages  were  waiting  —  the  little  one-horse  coach  of  Havana  which  carries  two 
passengers  comfortably  and  has  a  low  seat  with  little  leg  room  for  the  third  member  of  the  party.  They  were 
driven  direct  to  the  Jai  Alai  building  where  for  two  hours  the  ball  game,  which  arouses  Cuban  interest  to 
a  higher  pitch  than  any  other  sport,  was  studied  by  the  visitors.  There  is  no  accounting  for  taste  in  recreation 

as  well  as  in  other  directions.  The  Americans  observed  with  interest  the 
dexterity  and  the  strenuous  exertions  of  the  players.  They  were  entertained 
with  the  eager  betting  of  the  crowd.  They  could  not  feel  the  infatuation 
which  made  the  Jai  Alai  enterprise  so  fabulously  profitable  to  the 
stockholders  of  the  enterprise.  In  twos  and  threes  they  left  the  game  of 
pelota  unfinished  and  returned  to  the  ship  or  rode  about  the  City. 

Late  in  the  evening  many  of  the  visitors  were  entertained  at  the 
Hotel  Miramar.  Walter  A.  Stanton,  president  of  the  National  Bank  of 
Cuba  and  chairman  of  the  Spanish  Treaty  Claims  Commission,  welcomed 
the  guests,  expressing  the  great  pleasure  felt  by  Havana  in  having  the  honor 


The  Carrier  Pigeon  —  Between  Cuantanamo  and  Havana 

a  carrier  pigeon  alighted  on  the  steamer  and 

remained  several  hours. 


211 


of  a  visit  from  the  Commercial   Clubs   of   the   four   great   cities   of  the       Ml-  Yciscr' 0(  Cincinnati,  and  his  souvenir  of  the  isthmus. 
United    States.     He    spoke   of    the    industrial   and   commercial   benefits 
which  might  result  mutually  from  such  a  visit. 

David  R.  Francis,  of  St.  Louis,  and  Lucien  Wulsin,  of 
Cincinnati,  replied,  heartily  thanking  the  officials  and  the  business 
men  of  Havana  for  their  hospitality  and  courtesies. 

Sunday  morning  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  left  the  harbor  of 
Havana.  The  Joint  Committee  voiced  the  sentiments  of  the  Clubs  in 
the  following: 

S.  S.  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,  "  March  10,  1907. 
Governor  Magoon,   Havana: 

The   members  of   the    Commercial    Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and 
St.    Louis,    on   board    "  PRINZ   JOACHIM  "    from    Panama,   desire  to  express  through 
you  their  high  appreciation  of   the   kindness  and  courtesy  shown  them  in  Cuba,   and  beg  that  you  will   accept  their  profound   thanks   for 
yourself  and  all  throughout   Cuba  and  in  Havana  who  so  generously  contributed  to   the  pleasure  and  interest  of  the  visit. 

THE  JOINT  COMMITTEE. 

Scrupulously  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  refrained  from  talking  politics  in  Cuba.  They 
investigated  material  conditions  thoroughly.  They  realized  the  great  possibilities  of  the  wonderfully  fertile  island. 
They  brought  away  strong  impressions. 


212 


LEAVING  THE  STATION,  CITY  OF  PANAMA 

Reading  from  left  to  right:  On  board  the  train  —  Chas.  W.  Knapp,  J.  D.  Bascom,  D.  C.  Nugent,  B.  W.  Campbell,  Rolla  Wells, 
John  F.  Stevens  (Chief  Engineer),  Thos.  P.  Egan,  Robt.  Moore,  Stephen  L.  Bartlett,  H.  L.  Rice,  Capt.  Shanton,  M.  A.  Ryerson, 
Benj.  Carpenter,  Chas.  S.  Dennison,  R.  McK.  Jones,  D.  B.  Meacham.  Those  on  the  station  platform  —  David  R.  Francis,  C.  H. 
McCormick,  Robt.  Batcheller,  W.  D.  Mandell,  Henry  C.  Scott,  R.  H.  W.  Dwight,  N.  H.  Davis,  E.  G.  Cowdery,  Edward  Goepper, 
W.  E.  Clow,  J.  R.  Carter,  Wm.  Worthington,  Chas.  W.  Durrell,  J.  A.  Green,  Lucien  Wulsin,  E.  C.  Goshorn,  LaVerne  W.  Noyes, 
Frank  J.  Jones,  Arnold  Shanklin,  J.  W.  G.  Cofran,  Daniel  Catlin,  Elihu  Thomson,  Joy  Morton,  W.  J.  Chalmers,  Walker  Hill,  Jos. 
B.  Russell,  W.  H.  Wilson,  L.  D.  Dozier,  G.  M.  Wright,  Fred  A.  Geier,  Murray  Carleton,  Hanford  Crawford,  Oscar  L.  Whitelaw, 
Robert  A.  Boit,  H.  J.  MacFarland,  W.  G.  Tubby,  James  E.  Mooney,  Edward  F.  Swift,  Chas.  F.  Cutler,  L.  A.  Ault,  S.  Parker 
Bremer,  J.  G.  Schmidlapp,  John  V.  Farwell,  Jr.,  C.  H.  Conover,  John  M.  Clark,  Geo.  O.  Carpenter,  Clyde  M.  Carr,  Alfred  L.  Baker. 


Homeward  Bound 


HOMEWARD  bound,  between  Havana  and  Charleston,  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,  '  with  the  favoring 
current  of  the  Gulf  Stream  and  with  no  headwinds  to  hinder,  did  better  than  the  schedule.  Captain 
von  Leitner  told  his  passengers  that  he  would  land  them  in  Charleston  Tuesday  morning,  March 
twelfth,  instead  of  at  noon  as  the  itinerary  had  contemplated.  The  cabin  was  handsomely  decorated 
with  palms  and  flags  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Fahrenheim  for  the  farewell  assembly.  A  resolution  thanking  the 
Hamburg-American  line,  and  the  officers,  was  presented  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Warrington,  of  Cincinnati,  and  was 
unanimously  adopted. 

Captain  von  Leitner  acknowledged  the  courtesy  in  a  few  words  expressing  the  pleasure  it  had  been  to  him 
to  have  the  Commercial  Clubs  on  his  ship. 

The  tiibute  to  the  Hamburg-American  line  was  not  perfunctory.  The  agreement  entered  into  with  the 
Joint  Committee  was  carried  out  by  the  steamship  people  with  evident  determination  to  make  the  cruise  entirely 
satisfactory  to  the  Clubs.  Mr.  Emil  Boas,  New  York,  general  manager,  and  Mr.  J.  P.  Meyer,  assistant  to 
general  manager  of  the  Hamburg-American  line,  manifested  more  than  official  concern  in  the  trip  of  the 
Commercial  Clubs.  Prompted  by  a  warm  personal  interest,  as  well,  they  aided  greatly  in  the  successful  execution 
of  the  plans  of  the  Joint  Committee.  To  accompany  the  party  and  to  exercise  supervision  over  arrangements 
for  physical  comfort,  the  management  brought  from  Europe  Mr.  E.  Fahrenheim,  whose  province  it  is  to  go  upon 
special  and  extraordinary  cruises  of  the  steamers  of  the  Hamburg- American  line.  Mr.  Fahrenheim  has  upon 
several  occasions  accompanied  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  has  been  the  recipient  of  souvenirs  of  these  voyages 
presented  by  the  Emperor  in  recognition  of  his  services.  His  presence  on  the  ''  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  contributed 
materially  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  Trip  to  Panama. 

The  resolution,  presented  by  Mr.  Warrington,  heartily  approved  by  the  members,  and  signed  by  the  Joint 
Committee,  was  as  follows: 

Resolved:  That  as  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  returning  from  a  cruise 
to  Porto  Rico,  Cuba,  Jamaica  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  we  desire  hereby  to  express  our  thorough  satisfaction  with  the  manner  in 
which  the  Hamburg-American  Steamship  Company  has  fulfilled  the  terms  of  its  contract  with  us,  under  which  the  steamer  "  PRINZ 
JOACHIM"  was  chartered. 

In  particular,  we  tender  our  sincere  thanks  to  Mr.  Emil  Boas,  and  to  Mr.  J.  P.  Meyer,  his  assistant,  representing  the  Hamburg- 

215 


in    December,   presented   to 
the    trip    to     Panama,    this 


American  Line  in  New  York  City  for  their  personal  efforts  to  make  the  voyage  in  every  way  successful.    We  acknowledge   the  courtesy 

of  the  home  office  of  the  Steamship  Company  in  placing  at  our  disposal  the  inspector 
of  cuisine,  Mr.  Emil  Fahrenheim,  whose  skill  and  management  added  so  much  to  our 
comfort  and  enjoyment. 

It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  mention  in  an  especial  manner  the  continued  courteous 
attention  of  Capt.  Von  Leitner,  and  of  the  other  officers,  and  of  the  entire  crew  of  the 
"PRINZ  JOACHIM",  whose  labors  contributed  to  make  the  trip  thoroughly  enjoyable. 

HARRY  L.  LAWS. 

ROBERT    BATCHELLER. 

BENJAMIN  CARPENTER. 

HANFORD  CRAWFORD. 

In  the  circular  of  information  which 
the  Commercial  Clubs  the  attractions  of 
inducement  was  held  out  for  acceptance. 

"During  February  and  March,  in  these  tropical  waters,  unpleasant  weather  is 
practically  unknown;  a  comfortable  trip  at  sea  is  therefore  assured." 

While  old  Atlantic  and  phosphorescent  Caribbean  were  not  at  all 
times  as  smooth  as  glass,  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  encountered  no  storm. 
There  were  few  meals  which  did  not  bring  to  the  dining  saloon  the 
full  complement  of  voyagers.  Not  many  of  the  members  were  making 
their  first  acquaintance  with  ocean  travel,  but  three  or  four  who  were  at 
sea  on  an  initial  experience  escaped  sickness  to  their  surprise  and  great 
gratification.  The  end  of  the  first  day  out  justified  this  wireless  message: 

"At  sundown,  Commercial  Clubs  three  hundred  miles  from  Charleston  toward 
Porto  Rico.  Weather  perfect." 

Cooling  breezes,  sunny  skies  by  day,  beautiful  moonlight  nights 
favored  the  travelers  almost  throughout  the  cruise. 

The  voyage  of  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  was  5,660  miles.  This 
distance  those  representing  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boston  traveled  on 
the  steamer.  The  members  representing  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Chicago, 
Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  journeyed  4,360  miles  by  water. 

The  cruise  began  at  6  a.  m.  February  18th,  and  was  concluded  at 
3  p.  m.  March  14th. 

Captain  von  Leitner's  log,  the  translation  of  which  from  the 
German  was  obtained,  thoughtfully,  by  Mr.  Green,  of  Cincinnati,  was 
as  follows: 


VON  LEITXER,  CAPTAIN  S.  S.  "PRINZ  JOACHIM.1 


216 


AT  SPANISH   TOWN 
The  quaint  hotel  at  the  ancient  capital  of  Jamaica,  where  luncheon  was  served. 


Steamship  "PRINZ  JOACHIM"    -Trip  from  New  York  to  the  West  Indies 

Abstract  from  Log 


New  York  to  Charleston 

Left  Pier  55,  Mor.day,  Feb.  18,  '07  at  6:15  a.  m. 

Passed  Scotland  Lightship,  8:00  a.  m.,  Chro.  1:15  p.  m.     Beginning  of  passage,  Draught,  forward  19'  5",  aft.  19*  6". 

From  To 


Course 


Wind 


Latitude 


Longitude 


Pittance 


Feb.  18,  Diverse  NW    4  39°  38'  N  73°  57'  W  50  miles 

Feb.  18,  Feb.  19,  S  12.5°  W  SSW  4-5  35°    7'  N  75'  14'  W  278     " 

"      19,  "     20,  Diverse  SW    6-7  32°  52'  N  79°  12'  W  270     " 

Remaining  distance,  28". 

End  of  passage  Wed.,  Feb.  20,  '07,  3:10  p.  m.,  Chro.  8:46,  Draught,  forward  19'  5",  aft.  19'  3". 
Time  of  passage,  2  days,  7.2  hours.     Total  distance,  626  miles.      Average  speed,  11.3  knots. 


Remark* 


Moderate  Sea 
Smooth  Sea 
Smooth  Sea 


Charleston  to  St.  Thomas 

Left  Pier  in  Charleston,  Wed.,  Feb.  20,  '07  at  8:15. 

Beginning  of  passage,  10  p.  m.,  Chro.  B,  3.32;  Draught,  forward  19'  5",  aft.  19'  5". 

, Due -N 

*  To 

Feb.  21, 
"     22, 


Course 


Wind 


Latitude 


Longitude 


Feb.   21, 

"      22,  "     23, 

"      23,  "     24, 

Remaining  distance,  79". 

End  of  passage  Sunday,  Feb.  24,  '07,  6:15  p.  m.,  Chro.  10:57,  Draught,  forward  18'  4",  aft.  19'. 

Time  of  passage,  3  days,  19.4  hours.     Total  distance,  1,186  miles.     Average  speed,  13  knots. 


Remark. 


S36.5    F, 

NW    3 

30°  13'  N 

77'  35'  W 

185  mile* 

Moderate  Sea 

S  40.5°  E 
S45'     E 
S453     E 

S        ? 
ENE  4-5 

ENE  7 

26°    9'  N 
22°  37'  N 
19°    8'  N 

73  3  38'  W 
69°  46'  W 
65°"  58'  W 

322    " 
300    " 
300 

Broken  Sea 
Choppy  Sea 
Rough  Sea 

St.  Thomas  to  San  Juan 

Left  harbor  Sunday,  Feb.  24,   '07,  11:40  p.  m. 

Beginning  of  passage,  12  p.  m.,  Chro.  4.23,  Draught,  forward  18'  4",  aft.  19'. 

End  of  passage,  Monday,  Feb.  25,  '07,  6:00  a.  m.,  Chro.  10.28,  Draught,  forward  18'  4",  aft.  18'  10". 

Wailed  at  harbor  entrance  on  account  of  rain  for  pilot,  8:50  a.  m. 

Time  of  passage,  6  hours.     Total  distance,  70  miles.     Average  speed.   11.7  knots. 

219 


San  Juan  to  Ponce 


Left  harbor  Monday,  Feb.  25,   '07,  5:45  p.  m. 

Beginning  of  passage,  6:10  p.  m.,  Chro.  10.20  p.  m.,  Draught,  forward  18'  2",  aft.  18'  7". 

End  of  passage,  Tues.,  Feb.  26,  '07,  6:20  a.  m.,  Chro.  11.5,  Draught,  forward  18'  2",  aft.  18'  7". 

Time  of  passage,   12.2  hours.     Total  distance,   142  miles.     Average  speed,   11.6  knots. 

Ponce  to  Colon 
Beginning  of  passage,  Tues.,  Feb.  26,   '07,  9:45  a.  m.,  Chro.  2.30,  Draught,  forward  13'  2",  aft.  18'  7". 

Date  Course  Wind 

From  To 

Feb.  26,  S  58=      W  ENE  3 

Feb.  26,  "     27,  S  59.5°  W  ENE  3 

"      27,  "     28,  S  58J     W  E  5-6 

Remaining  distance,  244  miles.     Choppy  Sea. 

End  of  passage,  March  1,   '07    7:20  a.  m.,  Chro,  1,  Draught,  forward  18',  aft.  18'  5". 
Time  of  passage,   2  days,   22.5  hours.     Total  distance,  934  miles.     Average  speed,   13.2  knots. 

Colon  to  Kingston 

Left  Bay  of  Colon,  March  2,  '07,  at  9:55  p.  m. 

Beginning  of  passage,  10:00  p.  m.,  Chro.  3.37.     Draught,  forward  18',  aft.  18'  2". 


Latitude 

Longitude 

Distance 

Remarks 

17°  40'  N 

67°  06'  W 

31  miles 

Moderate  Sea 

14°  50'  N 

72°  04'  W 

333       " 

"            " 

11°  58'  N 

76°  48'  W 

326       " 

"            " 

Longitude  Distance  Remarks 

Rough  Sea,  (stea.  pitch.) 


78°  54'  W 
77°  25'  W 


133  miles 
281      " 


From  To 

March  3,  N  23°  E  NNE  6  11°  47'  N 

March  3,  "4,  N  18'  E  NNE  6  16'  14'  N 

Remaining  distance,   110  miles,   Rough  Sea. 

End  of  passage,  sighted  Plum  Point,  Monday,  March  4,  8:55  p.  m.,  Chro.  2:23,  Draught,  forward   16'  8",  aft.  19'  3". 
Time  of  passage,   1  day  22.8  hours.     Total  distance,  550  miles.     Average  speed,   11.8  knots. 

Kingston  to  Santiago  de  Cuba 

Beginning  c.  passage,  Tues.,  March  5,  '07,  6:00  p.  m.,  Chro.  11.17,  Draught,  forward  16'  8",  aft.  19'  6". 
End  of  passage,  Wed.,  March  6,   '07,  7:00  a.  m.,  Chro.  0.20,  Draught,  forward  16'  8",  aft.  19'  5". 
Time  of  passage,  13  hours.     Total  distance,  166  miles.     Average  speed,  12.8  knots. 

Santiago  de  Cuba  to  Havana,  via  Guantanamo 
Left  Santiago  Harbor,  March  6,  .07,  0.30  p.  m.,  beginning  of  passage,  1:00  p.  m.,  Chro.  6.20,  Draught,  forward  16'  8",  aft.  19'  5". 


Entered  Guatanamo  Bay  at  4  o'clock  to  view  the  American  fleet  and  continued  directly  on  course. 


Fran 


Course 
Diverse 


Wind 

ENE  4 
E        3 


Latitude 

21°  51'  N 
23'  14'  N 


Longitude 

76°  36'  W 
82°  10'  W 


To 

March  7, 
March  7,  "8, 

Remaining  distance,  12  miles,  moderate  sea. 

End  of  passage,  Fri.,  March  8,  1:15  p.  m.,  Chro.  6.SO,  Draught,  forward  15'  10",  ah.  19". 

Time  of  passage,  48.5  hours.     Total  distance,  641  miles.     Average  speed,  13.2  knots. 

Havana  to  Charleston 

Left  Havana  Harbor,  Sunday,  March  10,  '07,  7:15  a.  m. 

Beginning  of  passage,  7:50  a.  m.,  Chro.   1.26,  Draught,  forward  17'  6",  aft.   19'  10". 


Distance 

300  miles 
329     " 


Remarks 
Moderate  Sea 


Kron, 


Course 

Diverse 


Latitude 

23°  48'  N 

29°  12'  N 


Longitude 

81'  37'  W 
79°  44'  W 


57  miles 
367      " 


Moderate  Sea 


— Date      — N 

To 

March  10,  Diverse  ESE  4 

March  10,  "       11,  NE     4 

Remaining  distance,  212  miles,  moderate  sea. 

End  of  passage,  March  12,  3:30  a.  m.,  Chro.  9. 

Time  of  passage,  1  day,  19.7  hours.     Total  distance,  636  miles.     Average  speed,  14.6  knots. 

VON  LEITNER,  Capt. 

Held  fire-drill  on  February  20,  22,  27;  March  3,  7  and  10. 

Held  boat-drill  on  February  24,  25,  26;  March  1,  6  and  8. 

During  each  drill,  the  boats  were  alternately  lowered  to  the  waters,   bringing  various  boats  into  use.     The  boats  are    all  in  good, 
seaworthy  condition. 

A  German  folk  song,  the  music  rendered  upon  the  cornet,   was  the  signal  for  something  doing  in   the  early 
morning  of  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  day.     It  sounded  first  toward  the  bow.     It  swelled  amidships.     It  died  away  aft. 
'The  Wake-up"    was  the  title   which  the   band  leader    employed..      The  notes  and  words,  as  furnished    by  the 
leader,  are  given   herewith  : 


Golf  on  Deck  — A  life  preserver,  the  pulling  hole.  Wacht   auf    ihr   Schlafer    ,,  Gross   und    Klein", 
Those  keeping  score  and  looking  on.  (from  left  .      .     , 

to  right):    William  E.  'Clow,  H.  P.  Knapp,  Es  wacht  schon  langst  der  ,,Capitam 

L.    D.    Dozier,    William    K.     Bixby,    C.    H.  £-   ,    i,  u         Guten   Morp-en  "    zu 

Conover,    Stephen    L.    Banlett,    Robert    A.  "    ' '  " 

Boit.  Wacht  auf  ihr  Schlafer  aus  der  Ruh  ! 

Wake  up  you  sleepers,   big  and  small, 
The  early  rising  Captain  beats ; 
"A  Good  Morning"  to  you  all 
Wake  up  you  sleepers,   big  and  small. 

Mr.  Ault,  of  Cincinnati,  a  world-wide  traveler,  had  a  smoother  version 
of  the  words  for  "The  Wake-up."  His  version  was: 

Awake!     Awake!     Thou  sleepy  one, 
And  view  the  rising  of  the  Sun. 
'  Tis  time  the  day's  work  was  begun; 
And  so,  get  up,  thou  lazy  one. 

Long  before  they  reached  Charleston  the  members  of  the  Clubs  knew 
"The  Wake-up"  by  heart  and  many  of  them  could  hum  or  whistle  it. 

A  daily  diversion  on  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  was  the  outcome  of  the  hat  pools.  Mr.  Carpenter,  of 
Boston,  inaugurated  this  entertainment  and  it  proved  to  be  so  popular  that  he  was  induced  to  continue  in  charge 
to  the  end  of  the  cruise.  He  was  sometimes  called  the  pool  builder.  Every  day  Mr.  Carpenter  collected  a  dollar 
from  each  member.  Then  he  drafted  into  service  two  assistants,  who  drew  names  and  numbers  from  a  hat 
until  all  of  the  participants  had  been  divided  into  groups  of  ten,  with  numbers  from  one  to  ten.  At  exactly  12 
o'clock  each  day  the  Captain  gave  Mr.  Carpenter  the  run  of  the  preceding  twenty-four  hours.  The  winners  of 
the  pools  were  those  whose  numbers  corresponded  with  the  last  numeral  in  the  run.  If  the  " PRINZ  JOACHIM'S" 
run  was  127  miles,  the  winners  of  the  pools  were  those  whose  numbers  were  seven  in  the  groups.  And  they 
received  ten  dollars  each.  Mr.  Carpenter  made  the  rounds  of  the  decks  every  day  just  after  noon,  distributing 
the  winnings  of  the  pools.  A  couple  of  hours  later  he  made  his  second  call  and  collected  for  the  next  day's 
distribution. 

A  golf  tournament  supplied  all  of  the  excitement  which  one  day  demanded.  It  was  of  overshadowing 
interest  while  it  lasted.  Golf  on  shipboard!  Whoever  heard  of  a  putting  hole  on  deck?  The  committee  on 
sports  devised  the  game  and  formulated  rules,  which  called  for  considerable  skill.  Upon  the  officers'  deck  the 
teams,  one  for  each  city,  assembled.  A  life  preserver  was  the  putting  hole,  the  ends  pointing  toward  the  player. 
It  was  located  so  that  the  cabin  used  for  the  wireless  telegraph  office  and  outfit  served  as  a  backstop,  preventing 
wild  balls  from  passing  overboard.  The  distance  for  putting  the  ball  was  fifteen  feet.  From  the  scratch  line  the 

22J 


AFTER  LUNCHEON  AT  THE  CULEBRA  DINING  HALL 

Reading  from  left  to  right:     Clyde   M.    Carr,    Alfred    L.    Baker,    D.    B.    Meacham,    Frank   J.    Jones,    John    M.    Clark,    D.   C.   Nugent, 

Consul-General  Shanklin,  C.  S.  Dennison,  C.  H.  McCormick,    L.  D.  Dozier,  John  F.  Stevens  (Chief  Engineer), 

Oscar  L.  Whitelaw,    David   R.   Francis,    Daniel  Catlin,  Rolla  Wells,  W.    H.   Taylor,    R.   McK. 

Jones,  F.  B.  Carpenter,  W.  B.  Lawrence,  W.  J.   Chalmers,  W.  K.  Bixby,  Benj. 

Carpenter,   Lucien  Wulsin,   H.  J.   MacFarland,   Homer  P.   Knapp. 


bill.  ThOK 
Frink  J.  Jonct.  Th  omit  P.  Run  H.  J. 
MicFirlind.  EliKu  Thornton.  F.  A.  ticiei, 
Willing  A.  Fuller. 


ball  must  be  driven  by  a  single  stroke  into  the  life  preserver  to  win.  The  golf 
players  of  the  four  cities  entered  with  zeal  into  the  contest.  Each  individual 
player  had  five  drives,  for  which  he  paid  five  cents  apiece.  At  the  close  of 
the  tournament  the  score  stood:  Chicago,  42;  Boston,  36;  Cincinnati,  36; 
St.  Louis,  32.  The  championship  honors  of  the  tournament  were  won  by 
William  A.  Fuller,  of  Chicago,  who  made  the  perfect  score  of  five. 

One  of  the  games  which  the  committee  on  sports  provided  for 
recreation  was  quoits.  It  was  played  with  rope  rings.  Mr.  Cumner,  of 
Boston,  is  an  experienced  yachtsman.  He  taught  the  land  lubbers  how  to 
make  the  rope  rings. 

The  game  of  shuffle-board  was,  perhaps,  the  most  provocative  of  hilarity. 
The  long-handled  pushers,  or  shovels,  were  in  almost  continuous  use  mornings 
and  afternoons.  Among  the  most  enthusiastic  of  the  shuffle  players  were  Mr. 
Egan,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Charles  W.  Knapp,  of  St.  Louis.  With  these 
gentlemen  behind  the  shovels,  and  one  of  the  German  sailors  of  the  "PRINZ 
JOACHIM"  reporting  the  scoring,  there  was  fun  enough  to  entertain  the  whole 
line  of  occupants  of  the  steamer  chairs.  The  sailor  was  willing,  but  his  vocabulary  of  English  was  limited. 

"  Das  ist  gut  !"  the  sailor  would  call  out  when  a  disk  had  been  shot  down  the  long  deck  and  had  played 
havoc  with  the  disks  which  had  been  shot  before,  displacing  them  from  their  positions  on  the  numbered  squares 
of  the  diagram.  Then  would  follow  a  dialogue  at  long  range  between  the  players  and  the  sailor  outlook  to 
determine  for  which  side  the  result  was  '  gut.  " 

"Twenty-five  is  bad!"  the  lookout  would  announce. 

"Bad  for  which  side  —  red  or  white!"  Mr. 'Knapp  would  shout. 

"  Red  ist  gerecht,  "  the  sailor  would  reply,  after  careful  inspection  of  the  diagram. 

And  then  the  game  would  proceed. 

There  were  other  players  on  the  shuffle-board — Mr.  Jones,  of  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Walker  Hill,  of  St.  Louis, 
Mr.  Dennison,  of  Boston,  Mr.  Cumner,  of  Boston,  Mr.  Mandell,  of  Boston,  but  none  of  them  made  the 
welkin  ring  as  did  Mr.  Egan  and  Mr.  Charles  W.  Knapp. 

One  day  at  sea,  off  the  coast  of  Cuba,  a  carrier  pigeon  circled  and  alighted  on  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM.  " 
The  bronze  feathers  drooped  a  little.  The  bird  was  evidently  very  tired.  Nobody  was  allowed  to  approach  near 
enough  to  decipher  what  was  on  the  band  around  the  leg.  But  so  long  as  the  travelers  kept  at  a  distance  the 
pigeon  manifested  no  uneasiness  whatever.  One  of  the  stew?rds  placed  some  rice  near.  The  pigeon  ate  greedily. 
After  making  itself  at  home  several  hours  on  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM  "  the  bird  spread  its  wings  and  flew  away. 

225 


Quoit,  on  Deck- H^W^Cumn^r  constructine  Every      aftemOOH,      when      the      "PRINZ     JOACHIM"      W8S      HOt      in      port,      four 

gentlemen  settled  down  in  one  corner  of  the  ladies'  saloon  to  decorous,  serious, 
old-fashioned  whist.  They  were  Mr.  Carter  and  Mr.  Wright,  of  Boston,  and 
Mr.  Cowdery  and  Mr.  Hill,  of  St.  Louis. 

Bridge    was   more  popular  than   any   other   card   game,  but  the  universal   form 
of    recreation    was    reading.      One    of    the    most    appreciated    acts    of    the    Joint 
Committee  was  the  investment   made  in   periodical  literature.     The   latest   issues  of 
200    monthly    and    weekly    publications    (literary,   scientific   and    political)    were 
distributed    about    the    ladies'    saloon.      There    was    reading    for    everybody,    and 
everybody  read.     But  the  most  assiduous  readers,  probably,  were  Mr.  Ryerson, 
of  Chicago,   Mr.  Chatfield,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Thomson,  of  Boston. 

"Medicine  ball"  and  indoor  base  ball  were  games  which  Mr.  Dwight, 
of  Boston,  Mr.  Nugent  and  Mr.  Bascom,  of  St.  Louis,  and  Mr.  Carr,  Mr 
McCormick,  Mr.  Morron,  Mr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Chicago,  adopted 
for  a  daily  constitutional.  Mr.  Maxwell  and  Mr.  Green,  of  Cincinnati,  discovered 
the  uses  of  the  saloon  deck  for  a  running  track.  This  galaxy  of  strenuous  athletes 
also  formed  the  famous  Venus  de  Milo  bath  club,  which  met  on  the  upper  deck 
every  morning  behind  tarpaulin  screens. 

When  it  came  to  the  art  of  conversation,  Cincinnati  put  forward  an  easy  and 
agreeable  talker  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Warrington.  Chicago  entered  Mr.  Wilson, 
and  Boston  had  a  most  pleasing  conversationalist  in  Mr.  Whitman.  After  the 
breakfast  hour  there  was  a  gathering  on  deck  to  witness  a  bout  between  the  best 
story  tellers.  Mr.  Bixby,  of  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Chalmers,  Mr.  Morton  and  Mr. 
Morron,  of  Chicago;  Mr.  Russell  and  Mr.  Dwight,  of  Boston,  and  Mr.  Green,  of  Cincinnati,  were  among  the 
contributors  to  these  morning  symposiums. 

Each  day,  on  board  ship,  abounded  in  entertainment.  The  sunsets  charmed.  Often  they  were  attended 
with  wonderful  cloud  effects  near  the  horizon  as  the  great  blazing  ball  dipped  under.  The  travelers  lingered  long 
at  the  rail  to  see  the  tropical  evening  come  on.  A  delightful  experience  after  nightfall  on  the  Caribbean  was 
the  gathering  of  a  group  about  Professor  Elihu  Thomson.  With  the  aid  of  his  small  telescope  Professor 
Thomson  pointed  out  and  talked  about  the  constellations  seen  only  in  southern  waters.  These  impromptu  talks 
were  not  only  informing  but  fascinating  to  the  listeners  and  lookers. 

One  incident  of  the  cruise  was  the  practical  sympathy  shown  for  the  American  residents  who  sustained 
serious  losses  in  the  earthquake  at  Kingston.  Returning  to  the  steamer  rather  earlier  than  most  of  the  party  on 

226 


the  evening  of  the  departure  from  Jamaica,  Mr.  Whitman,  of  Boston,  and  Mr.  Dozier,  of  St.  Louis,  met  a 
committee  bearing  credentials  from  the  American  consulate.  The  extent  of  the  suffering  among  the  American 
residents  of  Kingston  was  explained  and  a  written  appeal  for  assistance  was  presented.  After  the  steamer  sailed, 
Mr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Dozier  drew  up  a  brief  statement  and  opened  a  subscription  for  the  sufferers.  No 
canvass  was  made  but  notice  was  given  that  those  who  felt  disposed  to  contribute  to  a  relief  fund  for  the 
American  colony  in  Kingston  could  find  the  paper  in  the  reading  room.  Mr.  Whitman  consented  to  act  as 
treasurer  of  the  fund.  Before  the  end  of  the  voyage  he  had  received  $3,900.  A  committee  composed  of 
Robert  M.  Burnett,  R.  H.  W.  Dwight  and  Robert  Batcheller  was  chosen  to  determine  the  disposition  of 
the  fund. 

At   Charleston  the  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of    Chicago,   Cincinnati   and   St.   Louis  disembarked. 
Full  two  hours  on  the  dock  was  required  to  do  business  with  the  customs  officers.     The  travelers  had  not 
brought   home   a  great   deal   that   was  dutiable,    but   they  did   bring   the  most   extensive  and   varied 
collection   of  souvenirs  ever  encountered  by  the  officials  of  that   port.     Each   member  of 
the  party  was  stocked  with  what   had   caught   his  fancy.     Time  was  required  to  go  over 
the  individual   inventories   and  to  determine  whether  some  of  the   unusual  imports   were 
dutiable.     In   the  end   the   members   got   the   benefit    of    doubt    and    the    United 
States    Treasury    was    not    materially    benefited    by    the    cruise    of    the    "  PRINZ 
JOACHIM."     Mr.  Yeiser,   of   Cincinnati,    had   been   captivated   by   a   Panama 
monkey,  "an   amoosin'   little   cuss."     The   monkey  was  the  only  live 
souvenir.     Mr.    McCormick,    of    Chicago,    had,    perhaps,    the    most 
unique  and  valuable   collection   of  material   reminders  of  the  places  he 
had  visited.     He  was  one  of  the  last  to  get  away  from  the  Chariest  on 
dock.     The  mayor  of   St.    Louis,    Mr.  Wells,    had  been  honored  with 
so    many    gift    cigars    by    the    various    alcaldes    he    had    met    in    \Vest 
Indian    waters    that    the    landing    at    Charleston    was    somcwh.:, 
embarrassing  to  him  until  the  customs  officers  sho\\cd  their  appreciation 
of    the    situation.     Dress    patterns   of    pina    cloth,    the    fibre    of    th  • 
Philippines,    manufactured  at    Barcelona,    had   caught   the  eyes  of  Mr. 
\     -i-nt    and    Mr.    Homer    P.    Knapp,    of    St.    Louis.      Mr.     Bixhy    and 
Mr.     I)o/.ier,    of    the    same    city,    went    in    for    Panama    hats.      Mr. 
Chalmers,  of  Chicago,   and   Mr.    Russell,   of   Boston,   had  enough  of  the 
bright-Colored    beans    and    shells    of    Jamaica    to    supply    a    kindergarten. 

Al/'l  r    r          1  •         i        i  iiii  /     /   \i 

Air.   v_arleton,   ol    St.    l.ouis,    had   searched   the   shops   Ol    I  Jhispo    street, 


on  it>r  "r.is.  'KM- 

"cbt   I  irr 

i;  u    i.  .:...:  ,  .   u.  •. 


Havana,  with  charming  results.  Enough  Spanish  fans  to  make  the  east  wind  envious  were  carried  home  to 
Boston.  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Chicago,  gathered  the  most  varied  assortment  of  strings  of  beads.  Mr.  Batcheller 
and  Mr.  Mandell  of  Boston,  were  among  the  members  who  secured  extensive  collections  of  post  cards,  while 
Mr.  Geier,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Wright,  of  St.  Louis,  obtained  complete  assortments  of  the  stamps  of  the 
Canal  Zone  and  of  the  Republic  of  Panama.  Mr.  Morron,  Mr.  Swift  and  Mr.  Wilson  of  Chicago,  were 
among  the  most  industrious  and  comprehensive  collectors  of  souvenirs. 

Intermingled  with  the  business  transactions  on  the  dock  were  the  leave-takings,  cordial  and  hearty.  Warm 
friendships  these  masterful  men  from  the  four  cities  had  formed  in  the  three  weeks  afloat.  A  round  dozen  of 
the  Bostonians  elected  to  return  to  New  York  on  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,"  braving  Cape  Hatteras  a  second 
time  in  a  month.  A  lonely,  heroic  group  they  looked  as  they  stood  on  the  all  but  deserted  deck.  Every  train 
out  of  Charleston  that  day  carried ,  scattering  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs.  Some  hurried  north  on 
business.  Some  departed  for  Florida  and  other  southern  resorts  to  join  waiting  families.  The  largest  party, 
made  up  of  members  of  the  Clubs  of  'Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis  who  were  hastening  direct  to  homes 
and  duties,  took  a  special  train  out  of  Charleston  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  This  train  reached 
Chattanooga  next  morning  and  Cincinnati  in  the  evening,  arriving  in  a  severe  rain  storm.  More  farewells  were 

said.     The  Chicago   and   St.   Louis  members  left  on   the  earliest   trains  for 
their  respective  cities. 

Washouts    along    the   White   river   in   Indiana   delayed  the  St. 
^___-_  Louis   delegation   twelve    hours,    giving    Mr.  Walker   Hill,  who  had 

^^ ^  ^_  T»  f^HBMniW*^  been  put  in  charge  of  traveling  arrangements,  an  excellent  opportunity 

to  show  his  ability  as  commissary.      At   7  o'clock   in   the   morning 
this   bank   president   might    have    been   seen   picking    his    way   along 
the  single   muddy   street  of  the   hamlet   where   the  train    lay   storm 
bound.     Under   one    arm    Mr.    Hill    carried    the    entire    stock    of 
crackers  of  the  only  grocery  in   the  place.      Under  the   other  arm   he 
lugged  a  great  section  of  cheese. 

To  be  eligible  for  membership  in  one  of  these  Commercial  Clubs, 
a  candidate  must  be  a  man  of  affairs;  he  need  not  be  a  millionaire. 
Business  or  professional  success  and  a  marked  degree  of  public  spirit 

The  ou  Guard— Leaving  Charleston  for  New  York,      count.     Money   does   not  talk  in  the  councils  of  the  Commercial  Clubs. 

On  this  voyage  to  the  Isthmus  the  evidences  of  wealth  were  not 
conspicuous.  A  cap,  a  loose  coat,  a  pair  of  trousers,  an  outing  shirt,  a 
belt,  canvas  shoes,  constituted  costume  de  rigeuer.  There  was  no  special 

228 


Reading  from  left  to  right:  Wm.  D.  Mandell,  S.  Parker 
Bremer,  W.  B.  Lawrence,  S.  L  Harriett.  Elihu  Thomson, 
James  R.  Carter,  H.  J.  MacFarland,  R.  A.  Boit,  F.  B. 
Carpenter,  J.  M.  Clark,  William  Whitman,  C.  S. 
Dennison.  In  the  rear  —  Lawrence  Minot  and  W.  R.  H. 
Dwight. 


THE  JOINT  COMMITTEE  AT  LEISURE' 
Reading  from  left  to  right:     Robt.  Batcheller,  Harry  L.  Laws,  Hanford  Crawford,  Benj.  Carpenter. 


dressing  for  dinner.    Once  on  the  cruise  down  the  travelers  broke  the      undin*  «  colon.  -  Menken  oi  the  ciub§ 
rule   of    go-as-you-please    in    dress,    and    that    was    in    honor   of 
Washington's  Birthday,  when,  upon  the  appeal  of  the  Joint  Committee, 
dinner  coats  and  dress  shirts  were  brought  out  of  the  steamer   trunks. 

A  canvass  of  the  party  showed   only  four  who  could   be  classed 
as    "retired"   or   as    capitalists  at  leisure.     The    others    had    visible 
employment.      Merchants    were,    perhaps,    the    most    numerous    class. 
Manufacturers  were  the  close  second  in  numbers.      But  both  merchants 
and  manufacturers  represented  a  variety  of  interests,    ranging   through  dry 
goods,   drugs,    hardware,    wool,   paper,    meats,    soap,   woods,    iron    aad    steel. 
Law,  medicine,  banking,  insurance,  journalism,  were  on  the  list  of  occupations 
shown  by  the  roster.     Managing  officials  of  a  score  of  great  national  corporations 
were  in  the  party.     From  Boston  came  members  of  families  whose  names  are  part  of  the 

history  of  New  England.     Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  were  represented  by  men  who  have  been  identified 
with  the  upbuilding  of  those  cities  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Perhaps  nothing  better  illustrated  the  varied  character  of  the  membership  of  this  party  of  nearly  one 
hundred  persons  than  the  assignments  to  the  groups  for  observation  of  conditions  in  the  Canal  Zone.  Special 
adaptability  was  discovered  for  every  line  of  inquiry.  When,  for  example,  the  group  on  Housing  and  Food  was 
made  up,  the  membership  included  the  commissary  general  of  Massachusetts,  two  representatives  of  the  National 
Biscuit  company,  an  officer  of  one  of  the  great  meat  packing  concerns,  a  manufacturing  chemist  who,  for 
recreation,  conducts  a  model  dairy,  marketing  the  milk  and  cream  of  800  cows. 

In  his  special  message  to  Congress,  last  winter,  the  President  said  of  this  Panama  Trip  of  the  Commercial 
Clubs,  then  in  contemplation. 

"  It  will  offer  as  witnesses  of  the  exact  conditions  men  whose  experience  as  business  men  and  whose  impartiality  will  make  the 
result  of  their  observations  of  value  to  the  country  as  a  whole.  " 

The  country  has  gained  eighty-six  eye-witnesses  to  exact  conditions  in  the  Canal  Zone.  These  witnesses 
were  not  in  any  sense  guests.  They  planned  their  itinerary.  They  paid  their  bills.  Nowhere  was  any  implied 
obligation  of  hospitality  permitted  to  influence  judgment.  Governments  and  corporations  have  conducted 
expeditions  to  promote  publicity.  That  is  legitimate.  But  the  resultant  testimony  must  always  be  taken  with 
due  allowance  for  the  enthusiasm  of  the  guest.  The  Trip  to  Panama  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  was  of 
entirely  different  character  from  the  so-called  junket.  Who  can  at  this  time  begin  to  estimate  the  influence  of 
this  unique  tour  of  inquiry? 

The   Commercial    Clubs    have    returned.      The    members    of    the    Clubs   have    given    out    their    impressions. 


Their  utterances  have  gone  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  But  this  is  not  the  end.  Indeed  it  is  only  the 
beginning.  The  eighty-six  representatives  of  the  four  Commercial  Clubs  are  standing  witnesses.  They  have 
acquired  thorough  personal  knowledge  of  conditions  and  are  equipped  to  consider  the  problems  of  the  Isthmus, 
as  they  may  arise.  Their  evidence  will  be  continuous.  As  the  work  progresses,  as  questions  of  detail  come  up, 
these  witnesses  will  be  qualified  to  express  opinions  and  to  support  those  opinions  with  statements  of  facts. 

Of  the  high  estimate  which  people  at  once  placed  upon  the  impressions  formed  by  the  members  of  the 
Clubs,  it  was  possible  to  realize  some  idea.  In  the  cities  of  the  four  clubs  invitations  to  deliver  addresses  were 
many.  The  public  shared  with  the  Government  at  Washington  the  opinion  of  the  value  to  be  put  upon  the 
impressions  received  by  the  members  of  these  Clubs. 

In  a  few  weeks  following  the  return  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  lectures 
or  addresses  upon  the  subject  of  the  Canal  were  delivered  by  the  members.  Mr.  James  A.  Green,  of  the 
Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati,  prepared  a  lecture  which  he  illustrated  with  100  lantern  slides.  This  lecture 
was  delivered  before  the  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati.  Mr.  Green  was  immediately  in  request.  He  repeated 
his  lecture  twenty  times  to  clubs  and  organizations  in  and  about  Cincinnati. 

"I  consider  it  a  patriotic  duty,"  he  said,  "to  tell  the  story  of  Panama  and  what  the  Government  is  doing. 
My  experience  is  that  the  people  are  enthusiastic  over  the  Panama  Canal;  that  they  appreciate  its  tremendous 
importance  and  that  they  foresee  the  day  when  the  diplomacy,  strategy  and  commerce  of  the  western  world  will 
center  about  this  Isthmus.  " 

Mr.   O.    L.   Whitelaw,   president   of  the   Commercial   Club  of  St.  Louis,  was  not  far  behind  Mr.  Green  in 

the  number  of  addresses  delivered  upon  the  results  of  the  trip.  The 
Boston  Commercial  Club  devoted  its  annual  meeting  to  "Panama;" 
and  issued  a  program  of  surpassing  interest.  Other  members  of  the 
Commercial  Clubs  have  delivered  addresses  in  relation  to  the  trip, 
some  of  which  are  still  being  repeated  as  this  book  goes  to  press. 

Those  members  who  gave  special  attention  to  climate,  to  ethical 
and  welfare  questions,  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  feeling  that 
Americans  who  go  to  Panama  to  dig  the  Canal  are  subjected  to 
peculiar  and  trying  conditions;  that  they  need  the  mental  recreation 
and  the  moral  encouragement  which  soldiers  in  the  field  must  have  to 
do  their  best. 

The  President  understood  this  wearying  quality  of  the  Panama 
atmosphere.  He  had  seen  it.  Doubtless  he  had  it  in  mind  when 
speaking  of  the  trip  of  the  Commercial  Clubs,  he  said : 


St.  Michael's  Church,  City  of  Panama. 


232 


"  Such  interest  as  a  visit  like  this  would  indicate  will  have  a  good  effect  upon  the  men  who  are  doing  the  work." 

The  morale  of  an  army  means  a  great  deal  in  relation  to  its  efficiency.  The  visit  of  the  Commercial 
Clubs  has  resulted  in  more  than  the  dissemination  of  accurate  and  comprehensible  information  of  inestimable 
value  to  the  whole  country.  It  did  great  immediate  good  to  the  thousands  of  Americans  on  the  digging  line. 
It  will  make  to  a  more  correct  appreciation  of  the  consideration  and  encouragement  which  the  folks  at  home 
must,  in  the  coming  years,  extend  to  the  army  of  Canal  makers  in  the  Zone. 

While  observation  of  the  Canal  was  the  primary  purpose,  it  was  by  no  means  all  that  made  this  cruise  of 
the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  a  notable  voyage  of  discovery.  Grave  problems  —  humanitarian,  political,  commercial- 
exist  in  the  islands  south  of  the  mainland  of  the  United  States.  They  are  pressing  for  solution.  The  members 
of  the  Commercial  Clubs  have  met  these  problems,  not  as  on  the  printed  page,  darkly,  but  face  to  face.  Three 
of  the  principal  Islands  of  the  West  Indies  the  Commercial  Clubs  visited  under  most  favoring  conditions  to  form 
opinions.  They  saw  Porto  Rico,  Jamaica  and  Cuba.  Porto  Rico  is  under  stable  government  which  encourages 
education  and  which  gives  popular  representation  in  political  forms  approximating  the  territorial  in  the  States. 
Jamaica  has  had  the  colonial  policies  in  force  for  generations.  Cuba's  political  status  is  —  what  next?  In 
progress  toward  higher  civilization,  toward  material  prosperity,  Porto  Rico  is  far  in  advance  of  the  others. 
Jamaica  is  the  same  yesterday,  today  and  forever,  so  long  as  the  colonial  system  shall  endure.  That  system  is  the 
Procrustean  form  of  politics.  Cuba  was  a  revelation  in  material  possibilities.  Those  members  of  the  Clubs  who 
made  the  overland  journey  from  Guantanomo  to  Havana  —  three-fourths  of  the  length  of  the  island — saw  a 
territory  as  large  as  Pennsylvania  not  one-half  cleared.  They  saw  soils  derived  from  decomposition  of  an  organic 
limestone  of  oceanic  origin  —  soils  which  produce  the  exhausting  crop  of  sugar  cane  year  after  year  without 
replanting.  There  are  no  soils  in  the  States,  or  anywhere  else  in  the  Western  Hemisphere,  which  offer  such 
possibilities  of  production  as  Cuba's. 

As  questions  pertaining  to  our  American  'Mediterranean  develop — questions  other  than  those  about  the 
Panama  Canal,  questions  of  trade  relations,  of  political  policies  —  it  will  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the  country  to 
have  these  witnesses,  who  can  speak  out  from  personal  knowledge  of  conditions. 

If  this  trip  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  to  Panama  shall  prove  a  precedent,  so  much  the  better  for  the 
country.  There  cannot  be  too  much  of  personal  inspection  of  the  Canal.  There  cannot  be  too  close  personal 
acquaintance  of  professional  and  business  Americans  with  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  especially  with  the 
islands  to  the  south. 


233 


Charles  Gordon  Knox 


WITH  flags  at  half  mast,  the  band  silent,  not  a  handkerchief  waving  from  the  promenade  deck,  not  a 
loud  word  of  greeting,  the  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM"  came  to  the  dock  at  Charleston,  early  in  the 
morning  of  March  12th.  A  few  hours  before  the  landing  the  unexpected  death  of  Charles 
Gordon  Knox,  Secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis,  had  occurred. 

Mr.  Knox  had  participated  actively  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  three  weeks'  cruise  of  the  Clubs  in  the 
West  Indies.  He  was  not  thought  to  be  critically  ill  until  after  the  steamer  left  Havana  for  Charleston.  When 
he  started  on  the  trip  from  St.  Louis,  February  18th,  he  was,  apparently,  in  good  health.  Two  days  after  the 
steamer  left  Charleston,  February  20th,  Mr.  Knox  told  several  of  the  members  that  he  was  not  feeling  well,  but 
he  did  not  consult  the  physician  accompanying  the  party,  Dr.  H.  S.  Warren,  of  Boston.  He  adopted  such 
simple  remedies  as  he  thought  the  ailment  called  for.  When  the  ship  reached  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  Mr. 
Knox  was  feeling  so  much  better  that  he  joined  those  of  the  party  who  elected  to  cross  the  island  in  carriages 
to  Ponce,  a  distance  of  eighty-one  miles.  Mr.  Knox  rode  in  the  carriage  with  Henry  C.  Scott,  a  fellow 
member  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Knox  spoke  repeatedly  of  his  enjoyment  of  this  overland 
journey,  long  as  it  was.  When  he  went  on  board  the  ship  at  Ponce,  February  26th,  he  was  not  feeling  so 
well,  but  he  attended  to  business  as  an  officer  or  the  Club  from  St.  Louis. 

On  Wednesday  Mr.  Knox  discovered  that  he  had  considerable  fever.  He  carried  with  him  a  testing 
thermometer,  and  on  trying  it  saw  that  his  temperature  was  104.  This  prompted  him  to  call  on  Dr.  Warren. 
The  disease  had  not  progressed  to  that  stage  which  made  a  definite  diagnosis  possible.  Dr.  Warren  gave  his 
immediate  and  close  attention  to  the  patient.  When  the  ship  reached  Colon  Mr.  Knox  was  much  improved. 
He  greatly  desired  to  make  the  trip  across  the  Isthmus  and  was  so  certain  he  felt  entirely  equal  to  it  that  the 
Doctor  consented.  Mr.  Knox  took  the  trip  without  apparent  discomfort.  He  was  much  interested  in  the 
Canal  work. 

In  the  division  of  members  for  systematic  observation  on  the  Isthmus,  Mr.  Knox  was  selected  for  chairman 
of  the  group  on  Housing  and  Food.  He  called  together  those  who  were  to  be  associated  with  him  and  helped 
to  plan  the  work  before  the  arrival  at  Colon.  This  group  made  a  thorough  study  of  the  housing  policy  and  of 
the  system  of  food  supplies  for  the  different  classes  of  employees  and  labor. 

234 


When  the  party  returned  to  the  ship  Saturday  night,  Mr.  Knox  was  not  so  well.  Shortly  before  the 
departure  on  the  steamship  Dr.  Warren  asked  Colonel  Gorgas,  the  head  of  the  medical  department  of  the 
Canal  Zone,  to  see  the  patient.  He  was  apprehensive  that  typhoid  fever  was  developing.  Dr.  Gorgas  confirmed 
the  opinion.  From  that  time  Mr.  Knox  was  confined  to  his  state-room  with  a  trained  nurse  in  charge.  The 
disease  progressed  slowly.  Mr.  Knox  repeatedly  expressed  entire  confidence  that  he  would  pull  through.  He 
dictated  the  telegrams  to  his  wife  and  friends.  He  insisted  that  he  was  in  no  danger  and  that  nothing  alarming 
should  be  sent  about  him. 

Upon  the  arrival  in  Cuban  waters  the  question  of  removing  Mr.  Knox  from  the  ship  to  a  hospital  was 
considered.  The  situation  was  explained  to  the  American  officials.  Governor  Magoon  took  a  personal  interest 
in  the  matter.  Dr.  Jefferson  R.  Keane,  the  head  of  the  American  Medical  Department  in  Cuba,  saw  Mr. 
Knox  and  make  an  examination  of  his  condition.  The  patient  was  anxious  to  get  home.  Dr.  Keane  and  the 
other  physicians  expressed  the  opinion  that  Mr.  Knox  was  in  no  immediate  danger,  and  that  it  would  be  better 
for  him  to  proceed  to  a  cooler  climate.  Acting  upon  the  best  advice  obtainable,  and  in  accordance  with  Mr. 
Knox's  wishes,  his  friends  decided  to  have  him  continue  the  voyage  to  Charleston,  it  being  the  purpose  to  have 
Mrs.  Knox  meet  him  there  and  to  have  him  remain  until  able  to  proceed  to  St.  Louis.  At  Havana,  a  second 
nurse  especially  qualified  for  care  of  typhoid  fever,  was  taken  on  board.  There  was  nothing  to  indicate  a  critical 
condition  until  Monday,  March  llth.  In  the  forenoon  complications  caused  alarm.  Mr.  Knox  had  trouble  in 
breathing.  Later  in  the  day  the  lungs  cleared  and  the  patient  was  better.  At  five  minutes  to  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening  Mr.  Knox  was  resting  quietly  and  perfectly  conscious.  Mr.  Scott  said  to  him  he  would  go  to 
dinner.  Mr.  Knox  replied,  "All  right."  Ten  minutes  later  Mr.  Scott  was  summoned  hastily  by  the  nurse. 
At  7:30  p.  m.  Mr.  Knox  died. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  those  most  familiar  with  the  case  that  Mr.  Knox  must  have  brought  the  germs  01 
the  disease  in  his  system  when  he  came  on  board  the  ship  at  Charleston,  Feby.  20th. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Knox  was  announced  to  the  members  of  the  Clubs  just  before  the  close  of  the  dinner 
Monday  evening.  Mr.  Burnett,  of  Boston,  conveyed  the  sad  information  in  a  few  impressive  words.  The  hush 
that  followed  was  broken  only  when  eight  members,  two  from  each  Club,  were  named  to  express  the  sense  of 
loss  and  the  feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  bereaved. 

The  memorial  framed  by  the  Committee  was  as  follows : 

The  members  of  the  Commercial  Clubs  of  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  returning  from  Panama  on  board  the  S. 
S.  "  PRINZ  JOACHIM,  "  do,  by  their  Committee  appointed  for  the  purpose,  express  the  deep  sorrow  which  i>  felt  by  all,  over  the  death 
at  sea  of  our  fellow-member 

Charles  Gordon  Knox, 
of  St.  Louis,  on  this  the  llth  day  of  March,  1907,  as  we  are  nearing  our  first  home  port  of  Charleston. 

The  respect  and  love  felt  for  him  by  all  who  knew  him,  best  testify  to  the    high   qualities  of    Mr.    Knox.      In    his  death  the 

235 


Commercial  Clubs  lose  one  of  their  most  valued  members;    one  who  cherished    and    maintained,    by    his    unwavering    devotion   to    duty, 
the  high  ideals  of  our  Clubs.     The  hearts  of  all  turn  with  deep  sympathy  to  Mrs.   Knox  in  her  sad  bereavement. 

WILLIAM  WHITMAN,  LUCIEN  WULSIN, 

ELIHU  THOMSON,  J.  G.  Schmidlapp, 

Boston.  Cincinnati. 

OSCAR  L.  WHITELAW,  JOHN  M.  CLARK, 

WALKER  HILL,  BENJAMIN  CARPENTER, 

St.  Louis.  Chicago. 

Mrs.  Knox,  who  had  been  informed  from  time  to  time  of  her  husband's  illness,  arrived  in  Charleston 
Tuesday  morning  shortly  after  the  steamer  docked.  All  arrangements  had  been  planned  to  convey  Mr.  Knox  to 
a  hotel  or  to  a  hospital  where  he  could  remain  until  able  to  return  to  St.  Louis,  so  confident  were  his  friends 
up  to  the  last  day  that  he  would  reach  Charleston  and  that  he  would  recover. 

Henry  C.  Scott  and  Robert  McKittriclc  Jones,  of  St.  Louis,  had  been  unremitting  in  their  attention  to  the 
sick  man.  The  details  of  the  funeral  were  left  with  them,  Mrs.  Knox  being  prostrated  by  the  shock.  With 
Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Jones  were  associated  L.  D.  Dozier,  Dan  C.  Nugent  and  Murray  Carleton  to  represent  the 
Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis  at  the  funeral.  A  special  car  attached  to  the  northbound  train  conveyed  Mrs. 
Knox  and  the  committee  to  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  where  the  burial  took  place  on  Thursday,  March  14th. 

Mr.  Knox  was  one  of  the  most  active  members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  a  moving 
spirit  in  the  arrangements  for  the  Panama  trip. 

Born  at  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  January  17th,  1852,  Mr.  Knox  attended  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover, 
Massachusetts,  and  studied  at  the  University  of  Berlin.  In  1887  he  married  Miss  Edith  Sherman  and  in  1888 
he  came  from  New  York  to  St.  Louis  to  take  an  official  position  with  the  National  Stock  Yards  and  with  the 
Stock  Yards  bank.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church,  a  trustee  of  Westminster  College,  of 
the  Mercantile  Library  and  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  He  was  a  director  in  the  Mechanics- 
American  National  bank  and  the  Commonwealth  Trust  Company. 


236 


SUNSET  ON  THE   CARIBBEAN 


The  Commercial  Club  of  Boston 

Executive  Committee 

WILLIAM  A.  BANCROFT,  President,  STEPHEN  L.  BARTLETT,  Secretary, 

ROBERT  M.  BURNETT,  Vice-President,  R.  HENRY  W.  DWIGHT,  Treasurer, 

GEORGE  S.  MANDELL,          JOHN  G.  WRIGHT,          WILLIAM  L.  ALLEN. 


Members 


GORDON  ABBOTT, 

President  Old  Colony  Trust  Co. 
President  United  Electric  Securities  Co. 
President  Massachusetts  Electric  Cos. 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS,  2ND, 

Treasurer  Harvard  College. 
Trustee. 

WILLIAM  L.  ALLEN, 

W.  H.  Allen  &  Son,  Leather  Merchant:. 

CALVIN  AUSTIN, 

President  Consolidated  Steamship  Lines. 

FRANCIS  B.  AUSTIN, 

Austin  &  Dotin,  Metals. 

WILLIAM  A.  BANCROFT, 

President  Boston  Elevated  Railway  Co. 

STEPHEN  L.  BARTLETT, 

President  Stephen   L.   Bartlett  Co.,    Importers    Cocoa    and 
Chocolate. 

ROBERT  BATCHELLER,  (Retired) 
WALTER  C.  BAYLIES, 

Armory,  Brown  &  Co.,  Dry  Goods  Commission. 


MARCUS  BEEBE, 

Lucius  Beebe  &  Sons,   Leather  Merchants. 

A.  D.  S.  BELL, 

Real  Estate 

FRANK  B.  BE.MIS, 

Estabrook  &  Co.,  Bankers. 

HOMER  L.  BIGELOW, 

Bigelow,   Kennard  &  Co.,  Jewelers. 

ROBERT  A.  BOIT, 

Insurance  —  Trustee  of  Estates. 

WILLIAM  H.   BOWKER, 

President  Bowker  Fertilizer  Co. 

S.   PARKER  BREMER, 

Parker,  Wilder  &  Co.,  Dry  Goods  Commission. 

EVERETT  W.  BURDETT, 

Moody,  Burdett,  Wardwell  Sc  Snow,  Lawyers. 

ROBERT  M.  BURNETT, 

President  Joseph  Burnett  Co.,   Manufacturing  Chemists. 

TIMOTHY  E.  BYRNES, 

Vice-President     New     York,    New    Haven    and     Hartford 

Railroad. 


239 


Members —  Continued 


FREDERICK  B.  CARPENTER, 

Geo.  O.  Carpenter  &  Son,  Insurance. 

JAMES  R.  CARTER, 

Treasurer  Carter,  Rice  &  Co.,   Wholesale  Paper. 

HENRY  B.  CHAPIN, 

Schirmer,   Chapin  &  Emmons,   Stock   Brokers. 

CHARLES  F.  CHOATE, 

President  Massachusetts  Hospital  Life  Ins.  Co. 
President  Essex  Co. 

B.  PRESTON  CLARK, 

Trustee. 

EDMUND  D.  CODMAN, 

Trustee  — •  Lawyer. 

EDMUND  W.  CONVERSE, 

Converse,  Stanton  &  Co.,  Dry  Goods  Commission. 

CHARLES  E.  COTTING, 

Real  Estate. 

HARRY  W.  CUMNER, 

Cumner,  Jones  &  Co. 

President  Boylston  National  Bank. 

CHARLES  F.  CUTLER, 

President  Eastern  Drug  Co. 

CHARLES  S.  DENNISON, 

Vice-President    and    Treasurer     Dennison     Mfg.     Co., 
Manufacturing  Stationers. 

GEORGE  A.   DRAPER, 

Treasurer  Draper  Co.,   Cotton  Machinery. 

R.  HENRY  W.  DWIGHT, 

Superintendent  National   Express  Co. 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.   Express. 

CHARLES  L.  EDGAR, 

President  Edison  Electric  Illuminating  Co. 

JOHN  A.  FENNO, 

Superintendent    and    Treasurer    Boston,    Revere    Beach    & 
Lynn  R.   R.  Co. 


FREDERICK  P.  FISH, 

President  American  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Co. 

WILLIAM  A.  GASTON, 

Gaston,   Snow  &  Saltonstall,   Lawyers. 

CURTIS  GUILD, 

Proprietor  Boston  Commercial   Bulletin. 

HENRY  L.  HIGGINSON, 

Lee  Higginson  &  Co.,   Bankers. 

JOHN  H.  HOLMES, 

Editor  Boston  Herald. 

JEROME  JONES, 

President  Jones,    McDuffee    &    Stratton    Co.,   Crockery    & 
Glassware. 

WILLIAM  B.  LAWRENCE, 

Lawyer. 

E.   D.  LEAVITT, 

Consulting  Engineer. 

WILLIAM  H.  LINCOLN,   (Retired) 
JOHN  D.   LONG, 

Lawyer. 

CHARLES  L.  LOVERING, 

Treasurer  Merrimack  Mfg.   Co. 
Treasurer  Massachusetts  Cotton  Mills. 
Treasurer  Massachusetts  Mills  in  Georgia. 

GEORGE  S.  MANDELL, 

Boston  Transcript. 

WILLIAM  D.  MANDELL, 

C.   F.   Hovey  &  Co.,  Dry  Goods. 
EDWARD  P.  MASON,   (Retired) 
CHARLES  S.  MELLEN, 

President  New  York,  New    Haven  c     Hartford  R.   R.  Co. 

LAURENCE  MINOT, 

Trustee. 

CHARLES  MOORE, 

Chairman  Executive  Committee  Submarine  Signal  Co. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND 
Those  who  braved  Hatteras  the  second  time. 

Reading  from    left   to   right:     Top  row  —  Stephen  L.   Bartlett,    Elihu  Thomson,    Jas.   R.   Carter,    William  Whitman,    Robert  A.   Boit, 

Robt.  M.  Burnett,  H.  L.  Rice,  F.  B.  Carpenter.    Middle  row  —  C.  H.  Conover,  N.  H.  Davis,  von  Leitner  (Captain),  John  M.  Clark, 

H.    J.    MacFarland.     Lower    Row  — Charles    S.     Dennison,     R.     H.     W.     Dwight,    W.     D.     Mandell,    W.     B.    Lawrence. 


Members —  Continued 


HENRY  C.  MORSE,  (Retired) 
HENRY  W.  PEABODY, 

Henry  W.  Peabody  &  Co.,  New  York    &  Boston,  Expoi 
&  Import  Commission  Merchants. 

ROBERT  S.  PEABODY, 

Peabody  &  Stearns,  Architects. 

GEORGE  F.  PUTNAM, 

President  Hill  Mfg.  Co. 

HARRY  L.  RICE, 

Treasurer  Rice  &  Hutchins,  Shoe  Manufacturers. 

JAMES  L.  RICHARDS, 

President  Boston  Consolidated  Gas  Co. 

JOSEPH  B.  RUSSELL, 

President  West  End  Street  Railway  Co. 
Treasurer  Boston  Warf  Co. 
Vice-President  State  Street  Trust  Co. 

JAMES  J.  STORROW, 

Lee  Higginson  &  Co.,  Bankers. 

GEORGE  F.  SWAIN, 

Professor    Civil    Engineering,     Massachusetts    Institute    of 

Technology. 

Member  Boston  Transit  Commission. 
Engineer  Massachusetts  Railroad  Commission.          , 

CHARLES  H.  TAYLOR,  Jr., 

Business  Manager  Boston  Globe. 

ELIHU  THOMSON, 

Electrician  and  Engineer. 
General  Electric  Co. 


FREDERIC  A.  TURNER, 

Vice-President  Boston  Plate  and  Window  Glass  Co. 
LUCIUS   TUTTLE, 

President  Boston  &  Maine  R.  R.  Co. 

EDGAR  VAN  ETTEN, 

Vice-President  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  R.  R. 
Co. 

BENJAMIN  VAUGHAN, 

Merchant. 

JOHN  W.  WEEKS, 

Hornblower  &  Weeks,  Bankers. 
Vice-Presidenf  First  National  Bank. 

WILLIAM  WHITMAN, 

President  Arlington  Mills. 
President  Whitman  Mills. 
President  Manomet  Mills. 
Harding,  Whitman  &  Co. 

CHARLES  W.  WHITTIER, 

C.  W.  Whittier  &  Bro.,  Real  Estate. 

MOSES  WILLIAMS, 

Lawyer. 

SIDNEY  W.  WINSLOW, 

President  United  Shoe  Machinery  Co. 

ROBERT  WINSOR, 

Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co.,  Bankers. 

JOHN  G.  WRIGHT, 

Wool  Merchant. 


The  Commercial  Club  of  Chicago 

Executive  Committee 

JOHN  V.  FARWELL,  JR.,  President,  JOHN  W.  SCOTT,  Secretary, 

JOHN  R.  MORRON,  Vice-President,  DAVID  R.  FORGAN,   Treasurer, 

GEORGE  E.  ADAMS,  THEODORE  W.  ROBINSON,  CLYDE  M.  CARR, 

JOHN  G.  SHEDD,  Louis  F.  SWIFT. 


Members 


GEORGE  E.  ADAMS, 

Real  Estate. 

ARTHUR  T.  ALOIS, 

Aldis  &  Company. 

J.  OGDEN  ARMOUR, 

President  Armour  &  Co. 

FRANK  H.  ARMSTRONG, 

Secretary  Reid-Murdoch  &  Co. 

EDWARD  E.  AVER, 

Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Co. 

ALFRED  L.  BAKER, 

Alfred  L.  Baker  &  Co. 

EDGAR  A.  BANCROFT, 

Scott,  Bancroft,  Lord  &  Stephens. 

ADOLPHUS  C.  BARTLETT, 

President  Hibbard,  Spencer,   Bartlett  &  Co. 

CHARLES  L.  BARTLETT, 

President  Orangeine  Chemical  Co. 

ENDS  M.  BARTON, 

President  Western  Electric  Co. 


NELSON  P.  BIGELOW, 

President  Bigelow  Bros.   &  Walker  Co. 

RICHARD  M.  BISSELL, 

Hartford  Fire  Ins.  Co.,   Hartford,  Conn. 

ELIPHALET  W.  BLATCHFORD,  (Retired) 
W.  VERNON  BOOTH, 

President  A.  Booth  &  Co. 

JOSEPH  T.  BOWEN, 

Vice-President  Metropolitan  Surety  Co. 

J.  HARLEY  BRADLEY, 

President  David  Bradley  Mfg.   Co. 

ANDREW  BROWN, 

New  York. 

WILLIAM  L.  BROWN, 

President  American  Ship  Building  Co. 

CLARENCE  BUCKINGHAM, 

John  H.  Wrenn  &  Co. 

EUGENE  J.  BUFFINGTON, 

President  Illinois  Steel  Co. 


244 


Members —  Continued 


DANIEL  H.  BURNHAM, 

Architect.  * 

EDWARD  B.  BUTLER, 

President  Butler  Bros. 

AUGUSTUS  A.  CARPENTER,  (Retired) 
BENJAMIN  CARPENTER, 

George  B.  Carpenter  &  Co. 

CLYDE  M.  CARR, 

Vice-President  J.  T.  Ryerson  &  Son. 

EDWARD  F.  CARRY, 

Second  Vice-President  American  Car  and  Foundry  Co. 

LESLIE  CARTER, 

Chairman  South  Side  Elevated  Ry.  Co. 

WILLIAM  J.  CHALMERS, 

President  Commercial  National  Safe  Deposit  Co. 

JOHN  M.  CLARK, 

Chairman  Chicago  Telephone   Co. 

WILLIAM  E.  CLOW, 

Vice-President  James  B.  Clow  &  Sons. 

ROBERT  C.  CLOWRY, 

New  York. 

JOHN  W.  G.  COFRAN, 

General  Agent  Hartford  Insurance  Co. 

CHARLES  H.  CONOVER, 

Vice-President  Hibbard,  Spencer,  Bartlett  &  Co. 

CHARLES  R.  CORWITH, 

Real  Estate. 

ALFRED  COWLES, 

President  Rialto  Company. 

RENNSELAER  W.  Cox, 

President  Pioneer  Cooperage  Co. 

CHARLES  R.  CRANE, 

1st  Vice-President  Crane  Co. 

RICHARD  T.  CRANE, 

President  Crane  Co. 


J.   J.    DAU, 

Vice-President  Reid-Murdoch  Co. 

CHARLES  G.  DAWES, 

President  Central  Trust  Co. 

FREDERIC  A.  DELANO, 

President  Wabash  R.  R.  Co. 

THOMAS  E.  DONNELLEY, 

President  R.  R.  Donnelley  &  Sons  Co. 

JOHN  M.  DURAND, 

New  York. 

ALBERT  J.  EARLING, 

President  C.,  M.  ic  St.  P.  Ry.  Co. 
BERNARD  A.  ECKHART, 

President  Eckhart  &  Swan  Milling  Co. 

FRANCIS  C.  FARWELL, 

Secretary  John  V.  Farwell  Co. 

GRANGER  FARWELL, 

Granger  Fanvell  &  Co. 

JOHN  V.  FARWELL,  JR., 

John  V.  Fanvell  &  Co. 

SAMUEL  M.  FELTON, 

President  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Co. 

Louis  A.  FERGUSON, 

2d  Vice-President  Chicago-Edison  Co. 

STANLEY  FIELD, 

Vice-President  Marshall  Field  &  Co. 

LEITH  A.  J.  FORBES, 

Scotland. 

EDWIN  G.  FOREMAN, 

President  Foreman  Bros.   Banking  Co. 

DAVID  R.  FORGAN, 

President  National  City  Bank. 

JAMES  B.  FORGAN, 

President  First  National  Bank. 


24S 


Members—  Continued 


WILLIAM  A.  FULLER 
LYMAN  J.  GAGE, 

New  York. 
JOHN  J.  GLESSNER, 

International  Harvester  Co. 

FREDERICK  GREELEY, 

Treasurer   Greeley-Howard   Co. 

ERNEST  A.  HAMILL, 

President  Corn  Exchange  National  Bank. 
J.  T.  HARAHAN, 

President  Illinois  Central  R.  R.  Co. 
JOHN  F.  HARRIS, 

Harris,  Winthrop  &  Co. 

TURLINGTON  W.  HARVEY  (Retired). 
FRANKLIN  H.  HEAD, 

Capitalist. 

HARLOW  N.  HIGINBOTHAM   (Retired). 
CHARLES  H.  HODGES, 

Detroit,    Mich. 

MARVIN  HUGHITT, 

President  C.  &  N.  W.  Ry.  Co. 
CHARLES  H.  HULBURD, 

President   Elgin    National   Watch   Co. 
CHARLES  L.  HUTCHINSON, 

Vice-President  Corn  Exchange  National  Bank. 
JAMES  L.  HOUGHTELING, 

Peabody,    Houghteling   &   Co. 

SAMUEL  INSULL, 

President    Chicago-Edison    Co. 
DAVID  B.  JONES, 

President   Mineral   Point  Zinc  Co. 
FRANK  H.  JONES, 

Secretary  American  Trust  &  Savings  Bank. 


CHAUNCEY  KEEP, 

Trustee  Marshall  Field  Estate, 
EDWARD  D.  KENNA, 

Capitalist. 
WILLIAM  KENT, 

Capitalist. 

ROLLIN  A.  KEYS, 

Franklin  MacVeagh  &   Co. 
CHARLES  F.  KIMBALL, 

President  C.   P.   Kimball   &  Co. 
HERMAN  H.  KOHLSAAT, 

H.   H.  Kohlsaat  &  Co. 
VICTOR  F.  LAWSON, 

President    Chicago   Daily   News   Co. 

THIES  J.  LEFENS, 

Real  Estate. 
ROBERT  T.  LINCOLN, 

President   The  Pullman   Co. 

HUGH  J.  MCBIRNEY, 

Assistant    Manager    National    Lead    Co. 
A.  A.  McCoRMICK, 

Indianapolis   Star. 
CYRUS  H.  MCCORMICK, 

President    International    Harvester    Co. 

HAROLD  F.  MCCORMICK, 

Vice-President   International    Harvester   Co. 

MEDILL  MCCORMICK, 

Chicago  Tribune. 

HIRAM  R.  MCCULLOUGH, 

Vice-President   C.   &   N.   W.   Ry.   Co, 
HENRY  J.  MACFARLAND, 

President    M.    D.   Wells   Co. 
FRANKLIN  MACVEAGH, 

Franklin    MacVeagh  &   Co. 


246 


Members —  Continued 


CLAYTON  MARK, 

National    Malleable   Castings   Co. 
ROBERT  MATHER, 

Vice-President   C.,  R.   I.  4  P.  Ry.  Co. 
ARTHUR  MEEKER, 

Director    Armour   &    Co. 
GEORGE  MERRYWEATHER, 

President  Railway  Exchange  Bank. 
JOHN  J.  MITCHELL, 

President  Illinois  Trust  It  Savings  Bank. 

JOHN  R.  MORRON, 

President    Diamond    Glue   Co. 

JOY  MORTON, 

Joy  Morton  &  Co. 

MARK  MORTON, 

Treasurer    International    Salt    Co. 

PAUL  MORTON, 

President  Equitable  Life   Ins.   Society. 

WILLIAM  MUNRO, 

London. 

THOMAS  MURDOCH, 

President    Reid-Murdoch    Co. 

MURRY  NELSON  (Retired). 
CHAS.  D.  NORTON, 

General   Agent   Northwestern   Mutual   Life  Ins.   Co. 
FRANK  B.  NOYES, 

Chicago   Record-Herald. 

LA  VERNE  W.  NOYES, 

President   Aermotor  Co. 
JOSEPH  E.  OTIS, 

President  Western  Trust  4  Savings  Bank. 
FRANCIS  B.  PEABODY, 

Peabody,    Houghteling   &   Co. 


KRSKINE  M.  PHELPS, 

Phelps  &  Dodge. 
ALLEN  B.  POND, 

Pond  &  Pond,  Architects. 
EDWIN  A.  POTTER, 

President  American  Trust  &  Savings  Bank. 
HENRY  H.  PORTER, 

Capitalist. 

WILLIAM  H.  RAND  (Retired), 
NORMAN  B.  REAM, 

Capitalist. 
ALEXANDER  H.  REVELL, 

President  A.  Revell  &  Co. 
THEODORE  W.  ROBINSON, 

First   Vice-President   Illinois   Steel   Co. 
EDWARD  P.  RIPLEY, 

President  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry.  Co. 
MARTIN  A.  RYERSON, 

Capitalist. 
JAMES  GAMBLE  ROGERS, 

Architect,  New  York. 
JOHN  W.  SCOTT, 

Carson,   Pirie,   Scott   &   Co. 
Louis  A.  SEEBERGER, 

Seeberger  &  Richards,  Real  Estate. 
H.  G.  SELFRIDGE, 

London. 
JOHN  G.  SHEDD, 

President   Marshall   Field   &  Co. 

BYRON  L.  SMITH, 

President  Northern  Trust  Co. 

WALTER  B.  SMITH, 

John  H.  Wrenn  &  Co. 


247 


Members  —  Continued 


JOHN  A.  SPOOR, 

President    Union   Stock   Yards   &   Transit   Co. 

A.  A.  SPRAGUE,  II., 

Sprague,   Warner  &   Co. 
ALBERT  A.  SPRAGUE, 

President    Sprague,    Warner   &   Co. 

OTHO  S.  A.  SPRAGUE, 

Sprague,   Warner   &   Co. 

HOMER  A.  STILLWELL, 

Manager   Butler   Bros. 
MELVILLE  E.  STONE, 

President  Associated  Press,   New  York. 
CHARLES  L.  STROBEL, 

President    Strobel    Steel    Construction   Co. 

B.  E.  SUNNY, 

Manager   General   Electric    Co. 
EDWARD  F.  SWIFT, 

Vice-President   Swift   &   Co. 

Louis  F.  SWIFT, 

President  Swift  &  Co. 


CHARLES  H.  THORNE, 

Treasurer  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co. 
EDWARD  A.  TURNER, 

President   Ewart   Mnfg.   Co. 

FREDERIC  W.  UPHAM, 

Vice-President   Peabody    Coal    Co. 
EMERSON  B.  TUTTLE, 

Real  Estate. 
CHARLES  H.  WACKER, 

President  Chicago   Heights  Land   Association. 

WALTER  H.  WILSON, 

Vice-President   Western   Trust  &   Savings   Bank. 
JOHN  E.  WILDER, 

Wilder  &  Co. 
ARTHUR  D.  WHEELER, 

President    Chicago  Telephone   Co. 
WILLIAM  S.  WARREN, 

President   Hulburd,  Warren  &   Co. 


The  Commercial  Club  of  Cincinnati 


Executive  Committee 


EDWARD  GOEPFER,  President, 
FRANK  A.  LEE,  Vice-President, 
JULIUS  FLEISCHMANN, 


A.  H.  CHATFIELD,  Secretary, 
JOHN  OMWAKE,  Treasurer, 
JAMES  A.  GREEN,          HARRY  L.  LAWS. 


Active  Members 


THOMAS  W.  ALLEN, 

President  John  H.  Hibben  Dry  Goods  Co. 

WM.  H.  ALLEN, 

President  The  Alms  &   Doepke  Co. 

L.  A.  AULT, 

President   The  Ault  &   Wiborg  Co. 
WM.  J.  BREED, 

President  The  Crane  &  Breed   Mnfg.  Co. 

LEE  H.  BROOKS, 

President  The  Pettibone  Bros.   Mnfg.   Co. 

B.  W.  CAMPBELL, 

Vice-President   The   Perkins-Campbell    Co. 
J.  T.  CAREW, 

President   The   Mabley  &   Carew   Co. 
A.  H.  CHATFIELD, 

President   The  Chatfield   &   Woods   Co. 
NATHANIEL  HENCHMAN  DAVIS, 

President   Central  Trust  &  Safe  Deposit  Co. 
CHARLES  W.  DURRELL, 

Durrell   Bros. 


RICHARD  DYMOND, 

Manager  Glenn  Estates. 
THOMAS  P.  EGAN, 

President  The  J.   A.   Fay  Sc  Egan  Co. 
WALTER  H.  FIELD, 

Vice-President    The    American    Cotton    Oil    Co. 
JULIUS  FLEISCHMANN, 

President  The  Fleischmann  Co. 
DAVID  B.  GAMBLE, 

Director  of  The  Proctor  &  Gamble  Co. 
FREDERICK  A.  GEIER, 

President   The   Cincinnati    Milling    Machine  Co. 
JAMES  M.  GLENN, 

Manager  Glenn  Estates. 
EDWARD  GOEPPER, 

President  The  Herman  Goepper  Co. 
I'mviN  C.  GOSHORN, 

Manager   National    Lead   Co. 
JAMES  A.  GREEN. 

Matthew   Addy  &  Co. 


Bancroft  Library 


Active  Members — Continued 


WM.  M.  GREENE, 
CHARLES  L.  HARRISON, 

Harrison  Estate. 
JAMES  J.  HOOKER, 

President   The   Putnam-Hooker    Co. 
M.  E.  INGALLS, 

Chairman  C.  C.  C.  &  St.  L.  Ry.  Co. 

FRANK  J.  JONES, 

President  Little  Miami  R.  R.   Co. 
HARRY  M.  LANE, 

President  The  Lane  &  Bodley  Co. 
PERIN  LANGDON, 

The   National   Biscuit   Co. 
HARRY  L.  LAWS, 

James  H.  Laws  &  Co. 
FRANK  A.  LEE, 

President  The  John  Church   Co. 
WM.  LODGE, 

President  The  Lodge  &  Shipley   Co. 
LAWRENCE  MAXWELL,  JR., 

Lawyer,  Maxwell  &  Ramsey. 
D.  B.  MEACHAM, 

Rogers   Brown   &   Co. 
A.  B.  MEADER, 

Secretary   The   Meader   Furniture   Co. 
Jos.  S.  NEAVE, 

Superintendent    City   Street    Cleaning   Dept. 
JOHN  OMWAKE, 

President  The  U.  S.  Playing  Card  Co. 


WM.  COOPER  PROCTOR, 

President  The   Proctor   &   Gamble   Co. 
W.  S.  ROWE, 

President  First  National  Bank. 
J.  G.   SCHMIDLAPP, 

President  The  Union  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Co. 
STEWART  SHILLITO, 

President   The   John    Shillito   Co. 
BRADFORD  SHINKLE, 

President   Covington  &   Cincinnati   Bridge   Co. 
N.  W.  STROBRIDGE, 

Vice-President    The    Strobridge    Lith.   Co. 
W.  W.  TAYLOR, 

President   The   Rookwood   Pottery   Co. 
PETER  G.  THOMSON, 

President   The   Champion   Coated   Paper   Co. 

ALBERT  B.  VOORHEIS, 

First    Vice-President  The  Union  Savings    Bank  &  Trust  Co. 
JOHN  W.  WARRINGTON, 

Lawyer,  Paxton  &  Warrington. 
AUGUSTUS  WESSEL, 

President  The   Cincinnati   Railway   Supply   Co. 
WM.   WORTHINGTON, 

Lawyer. 

CLIFFORD  B.  WRIGHT, 

Vice-President  First  National  Bank 
LUCIEN  WULSIN, 

President  The  Baldwin  Piano  Co. 
H.  C.  YEISER, 

President   The   Globe-Wernicke    Co. 


Honorary  Member 


WM.  H.  TAFT, 

Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.   C. 

250 


THOMAS  MORRISON, 

Thos.   Morrison   &   Co. 


A.  HOWARD  HINKLE, 
ALEXANDER  MCDONALD, 

Standard  Gil  Co. 
HARLEY  T.  PROCTER, 

New  York  City. 


Retired  Members 


JAMES  E.  MOONEY, 

President   The  American  Oak   Leather   Co. 


Non-Resident  Members 


THOMAS  T.  GAFF, 

Washington,   D.    C. 
RALPH  PETERS, 

President  Long  Island  R.  R.  Co.,  New   York  City. 

S.  M.  FELTON, 

President  Chicago  &  Alton  R.  R.  Co.,  Chicago. 


-'M 


The  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis 

Executive  Committee 

JAMES  A.  WATERWORTH,  President,  W.  H.  LEE,  Treasurer, 

DAVID  R.  FRANCIS,  V 'ice-President,  ALFRED  L.  SHAPLEIGH,  Secretary, 

OSCAR  L.  WHITELAW,    HANFORD  CRAWFORD,    EDWARD  MALLINCKRODT. 

Active  Members 

ELMER  B.  ADAMS,  DANIEL  CATLIN, 

U.  S.  Circuit  Judge.  Manufacturer  (Retired). 

JOSEPH  D.  BASCOM,  E.  C.  COWDERY, 

Secretary-Treasurer  Broderick  &  Bascom  Rope  Co.  General  Manager  Laclede  Gas  Light  Co. 

W.  K.  BIXBY,  HANFORD  CRAWFORD, 

Chairman    American    Car    &    Foundry    Co.  President  Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney  Dry  Goods  Co. 

HARRY  L.  BLOCK,  H-  N.  DAVIS, 

President  Union  Sand  &  Material  Co.  President   Smith  &  Davis  Manufacturing   Co. 

HUDSON  E.  BRIDGE,  L-  D-  DOZIER, 

President  Bridge  &  Beach  Mnfg.   Co.  R-  B.  DULA, 

ROBT.  S.  BROOKINGS,  Director  The   American   Tobacco    Co. 

Vice-President    Sam'l    Cupples    Wooden    Ware    Co.  GEORGE  L.   EDWARDS, 

AoOLPHUS  BUSCH,  President  A.   G.  Edwards  Brokerage  Co. 

....                           ....  BENJAMIN  EISEMAN. 

President   Anheuser-Busch   Brewing  Association. 

» ,                 r-,  Merchant. 

MURRAY  CARLETON, 

HOWARD  ELLIOTT, 

President    Carleton    Dry    Goods    Co.  VItMmi    Northern    Pacific   Ry.   Co. 

GEO.  O.  CARPENTER,  ALEXANDER  EUSTON, 

Resident   Manager   National    Lead    Co.  Manufacturer 

THOMAS  W.  CARTER,  DAVID  R   FRANC^ 

Gram  Commission.  Francis,    Brother   &    Co. 

252 


THE  LOG  CABIN  GROUP 

Reading   from  left    to   right:     Those    sitting  —  George  M.  Wright,    Murray  Carleton,     David  R.  Francis,    Charles  W.  Knapp.     Those 

standing:     L.  D.  Dozier,  Rolla  Wells. 


Active  Members — Continued 


WM.  E.  GUY, 

Railroads. 

HENRY  C.  HAARSTICK, 

St.   Louis   Union   Trust   Co. 
WALKER  HILL, 

President  The  Mechanics'- American  National  Bank. 
JOHN  A.  HOLMES, 

J.  A.   Holmes  Lumber   Co. 
CHARLES  H.  HUTTIG, 

President  Third  National  Bank. 
ROBT.  McK.  JONES, 

R.    McK.  Jones  &   Co. 
SAMUEL  M.  KENNARD, 

President   J.   Kennard    &   Sons    Carpet    Co. 
CHARLES  W.  KNAPP, 

President  Publishers:  George  Knapp  &  Co. 
HOMER  P.  KNAPP, 

Vice-President   Butler   Bros. 

W.  H.  LEE, 

President  The  Merchants-Laclede  National  Bank 
F.  W.  LEHMANN, 

Lawyer.  • 

THOMAS  H.  McKirrRiCK, 

President  Hargadine-McKittrick  Dry  Goods  Co. 
EDW.  MALLINCKRODT, 

President  Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works. 

GEORGE  D.  MARKHAM. 

\V.    H.    Markham   &   Co. 
THEO.  F.  MEYER, 

Vice-President    Meyer   Bros.   Drug   Co. 
ROBERT  MOORE, 

Consulting  Engineer. 
CHAS.  NAGEL, 

Lawyer. 


F.  G.  NlEDRINGHAUS, 

President    National    Enrmeling   &    Stamping   Co. 

D.  C.  NUGENT, 

First  Vice-President  B.   Nugent  it  Bro.  D.  G.  Co. 

O.  H.  PECKHAM, 

President   National   Candy   Co. 
H.  CLAY  PIERCE, 

Chairman   Waters-Pierce   Oil   Co. 

Jos.  RAMSEY,  JR. 
HENRY  C.  SCOTT, 

President   Laclede   Power   Co. 

E.  G.  Sc UDDER, 

President   Scudder-Gale   Grocer  Co. 
A.  L.  SHAPLEIGH, 

Treasurer    Norvell-Shapleigh   Hardware   Co. 
JOHN  F.  SHEPLEY, 

Vice-President   St.   Louis   Union  Trust   Co. 

D.  S.  H.  SMITH, 

Local   Treasurer   The   Missouri   Pacific   Ry.    Co. 
WILLIAM  TAUSSIG, 

President  St.  Louis   Bridge  Co. 

L.  B.  TEBBETTS, 

Manufacturer. 
FESTUS  J.  WADE, 

President   Mercantile  Trust   Co. 
JULIUS  S.  WALSH, 

Chairman  of   the   Board,  Terminal   R.   R.   Association   of 
St.   Louis. 

Chairman    Mississippi    Valley    Trust    Co. 
JAMES  A.  WATERWORTH, 

Fire  Insurance. 
ROLLA  WELLS, 

Mayor  of  City  of  St.  Louis. 
J.  J.  WERTHEIMER, 

President    Wertheimer-Schwarts   Shoe   Co. 


2S5 


Active  Members — Continued 


THOMAS  H.  WEST, 

President  St.  Louis  Union  Trust  Co. 
EDWARDS  WHITAKER, 

Stock   &  Bond   Broker. 

OSCAR  L.  WHITELAW, 

Merchant. 


GEORGE  M.  WRIGHT, 

Vice-President    and    General    Manager    Wrn.    Barr    Dry 

Goods   Co. 
E.  F.  YOAKUM, 

Chairman  Ex.   Com.   St.  Louis  &  San   Francisco  R.  R.   Co. 


Honorary  Members 


JOHN  C.  BATES, 

Lieutenant-General   U.   S.   A.    (Retired) 
CYRUS  B.  BURNHAM, 

Merchant    (Retired). 
W.  S.  CHAPLIN. 

Ex- Chancellor   Washington    University. 

SAMUEL  CUPPLES, 

President   Sam'l    Cupples   Wooden    Ware    Co. 

S.  M.  DODD, 

President    Wagner    Electric    Manufacturing    Co. 

GEO.  S.  DRAKE, 

Banker   (Retired). 


ETHAN  ALLEN  HITCHCOCK, 

Ex- Secretary  of  the  Interior. 
RUFUS  J.  LACKLAND, 

President  Boatmen's  Bank. 

E.  C.  SIMMONS, 

Simmons  Hardware  Co. 

JOHN  A.  Sc UDDER, 

Capitalist. 

E.  O.  STANARD, 

President  E.  O.  Stanard  Milling  Co. 


